Mexico Captures Alleged Drug Lord

Just two weeks after a chilling reprisal attack for troops' killing of the reputed boss of the Beltrán Leyva cartel, police have captured one of his brothers, sending a strong message that Mexico won't back down in the drug war. The Public Safety Department said in a statement Saturday night that Carlos Beltrán Leyva was arrested in Culiacán, the capital of the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa, where he and several of his brothers were born and allegedly started their gang.On Dec. 16, his brother Arturo, the alleged chief of the Beltrán Leyva cartel, died during a two-hour shootout with marines in the city of Cuernavaca. He was the highest-ranking drug suspect taken down since President Felipe Calderón sent tens of thousands of soldiers and federal police across the country three years ago to fight brutal drug gangs.

Mexican officials in the past have described Carlos Beltrán Levya, 40 years old, as a key member of the gang, but it was unclear if he took over as chief of the cartel after his brother died. A third brother, Alfredo, was arrested in January 2008. At least one other brother, Mario, remains at large and is listed as one of Mexico's 24 most-wanted drug lords, with a $2 million reward offered for his capture. Carlos Beltrán wasn't included on the list, although the Public Safety Department said there had been a warrant for his arrest since 2008. The arrest gave Mr. Calderón back-to-back victories in the drug war and underscored the government's determination to destroy the Beltrán Leyva cartel despite the threat of reprisal attacks.