CARTEL CRIPPLER: ARREST TAKES DOWN NO. 3

Mexican authorities announced arrests made last week have crippled
the Juarez drug cartel, La Linea. On Thursday, Fernando Contreras
Meraz, known as "El Dorado," confessed to being responsible for
activating a deadly car bomb in Juarez July 15.

He is the reputed No. 3 in La Linea behind Juan Pablo Ledezma, who
reputedly is directly under cartel leader Vicente Carrillo Fuentes.

In the Juarez area of Mexico, the drug war is between La Linea and
the invading Sinaloa cartel, headed by Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman.

With this latest arrest, federal police reported La Linea (Juarez
cartel) has been virtually dismantled; left are only three or four leaders.

Contreras Meraz was one of 13 persons arrested Wednesday in
connection with the July car bombing where two people were killed and
several others wounded in downtown Juarez. The arrests, made in
Chihuahua City, included lookouts and street-level drug dealers.

Other agencies have also reported that La Linea is on its last legs,
and that Chapo Guzman's Sinaloa cartel is winning the battle to
control the flow of drugs out of the Juarez corridor. Already, some
6,700 persons have been killed in the border city since 2008.

Because of the background on Contreras Meraz, and his history with
Mexican law enforcement, it has to be concluded that his arrest does
deal a major blow to a drug cartel.

But it must also be noted that some arrests in the past have not led
to a day in court for the accused. Many, for one reason or another,
have been set free based on what authorities termed a lack of evidence.

It also has become known that some detainees have been physically
beaten into making confessions for crimes they did not commit.

Contreras Meraz is just the latest high-level cartel leader arrested
in Mexico. He is, though, considered the highest member of this
area's cartel to be taken off the streets.

Indeed, Mexican authorities likely have this one correct. With this
arrest, the Juarez cartel has suffered a crippling blow.