Alleged cartel leader caught in Mexico

No shots were fired in the brief operation, which culminated an 11-month federal criminal investigation.

A mugshot released by Mexico's Attorney General's Office shows alleged cartel capo Hector Beltran Leyva after his arrest by Mexican law enforcement authorities
A mugshot released by Mexico's Attorney General's Office shows alleged cartel capo Hector Beltran Leyva after his arrest by Mexican law enforcement authorities

Military special forces grabbed alleged cartel leader Hector Beltran Leyva during a lightning raid at a restaurant Wednesday, the latest in a string of high-profile drug arrests in the country.

Officials said the purported head of the Beltran Leyva drug gang was captured inside a seafood eatery in the city of San Miguel de Allende, a popular enclave for foreigners and artists in the central state of Guanajuato.

No shots were fired in the brief operation, which culminated an 11-month federal criminal investigation.

The arrest comes just months after the capture of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the elusive boss of the Sinaloa cartel, which is considered the most powerful drug gang in Mexico. He was caught in February after more than a decade on the run following his escape from prison.

Mexican authorities say Hector Beltran Leyva, 49, assumed leadership of the Beltran Leyva cartel after his brother Arturo was killed by Mexican troops in a shootout in late 2009. Two other brothers are behind bars for their involvement in the cartel.