Mexico Arrests 2 Reputed Leaders of Tijuana Drug Gang

Mexican authorities on Monday arrested two suspected leaders of a brutal drug trafficking gang that terrorized the border city of Tijuana for several years, a U.S. official said.

The capture of Raydel Lopez Uriarte and Manuel Garcia Simental apparently wipes out the existing leadership of the cartel headed by Teodoro Garcia Simental, who was captured last month. Teodoro and Manuel Garcia are brothers.

Lopez, known as “El Muletas,” and Garcia, known as “El Chiquilin,” were arrested Monday in La Paz, a city in the southern end of the Baja California peninsula, said Amy Roderick, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. She had no further details on the operation that led to their capture.

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Brazil – Drug Gang Shoots Downs Police Chopper

Drug traffickers shot down a police helicopter Saturday in northern Rio de Janeiro, killing two officers, as it flew over a clash between drug gangs. The dramatic downing comes two weeks after Rio was picked to host the 2016 Olympic games.

Two officers died, while the pilot and three other policemen escaped after the craft hit the ground on a football field and burst into flames. The pilot and a second officer suffered burns and bullet wounds.

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