DEA says Mexican authorities arrest 2 reputed leaders of drug cartel terrorizing Tijuana

Mexico arrests 2 reputed leaders of Tijuana cartel

TIJUANA, Mexico — U.S. officials say Mexican authorities have arrested two reputed leaders of a drug cartel that has terrorized the border city of Tijuana.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman Amy Roderick says Raydel Lopez Uriarte and Manuel Garcia Simental were arrested in La Paz.

That town at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula is where the cartel’s alleged leader, Teodoro Garcia Simental, was captured last month.

The two men reported arrested Monday were the cartel leader’s top lieutenants and their arrests would be a severe blow to the gang, leaving it apparently leaderless.

No further details are immediately available on the arrests.