Mexican Government arrests leading drug baron

Soto Reyes, also known as "The Tiger", was detained with eight accomplices near the western city of Guadalajara, the Mexican Ministry of Public Security was quoted as saying.

Reyes had allegedly smuggled half a tonne of drugs into the US every month.

Mexican Police believed he had replaced Ignacio Coronel, a top member of the cartel killed by Mexican soldiers in July.

Investigations by Mexican and US security forces had shown that Soto Reyes had taken over control of an important trafficking route for synthetic drugs that had formerly been operated by Coronel, the ministry added in a statement.

The Sinaloa cartel was one of the most powerful and violent drug trafficking organisations in Mexico.