Knights of Templar Mexican Drug Cartel Leader Servando 'La Tuta' Gomez Captured While Eating a Hot Dog
Mexican police announced on Friday they captured one of the world's most wanted drug kingpins.
Servando Gómez, known as La Tuta (the Teacher) and leader of the drug cartel Knights of Templar, was found and apprehended in the city of Morelia, The New York Times reports. No shots were fired during the capture. He was reportedly eating a hot dog by a street vendor when he was arrested.
The 49-year-old is also wanted in the United States for methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking.
Gomez had taunted authorities in the past with videos he posted on YouTube. He even held interviews with Britain's Channel 4. In the interview with Channel 4, Gomez was filmed handing out cash to people in a town.
THe drug cartel leader was also seen in published videos and pictures sitting and drinking beer with the son of the former governor of Michoacán, Fausto Vallejo. The governor later stepped down from his position after picture of his son, Rodrigo Vallejo, and Gomez was published in local newspapers.
Vallejo's son claimed he was kidnapped and forced to sit and meet Gomez.
Gomez says he left teaching to join the La Familia gang. He rose through the ranks eventually becoming the group's leader. The gang later called itself the Knights of Templar. The group terrorized the Michoacán state through kidnapping, extortion and murder.
Citizens of the area became fed up with cartel violence in recent years and created vigilante groups to fight back. The violence between the cartel and the vigilantes took over Michoacán. In Jan. 2014, the national government sent police and troops to the area to attempt to stem the violence. In recent months, many of Gomez's lieutenants were flushed out.
President Enrique Peña Nieto's recent effort to capture drug kingpins in Mexico has resulted in a number of arrests. Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel also known as El Chapo was arrested in Feb. 2014. A month later, federal troops killed the founder of La Familia, Nazario Moreno González.
Despite some success, the Michoacán area still remains volatile. Another violent group, Los Viagra, recently appeared in the area causing more unrest. The vigilante groups are also splintered and resist attempts to be brought under an officially sanctioned defense force.
Mexico had a $2 million bounty on Gomez prior to his capture.
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