Authorities in Mexico had recaptured notorious Jalisco Cartel co-founder Erick Valencia Salazar, also known as "El 85, on Monday morning.

Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, Chief of the General Staff, said the Army and the National Guard conducted a joint operation and rearrested El 85.

Trevilla Trejo announced the Jalisco cartel boss' arrest during the commemorative ceremony of the 199th anniversary of the General Staff. However, he did not give any further details.

Some reports noted that a strong military operation was carried out at Tapalpa in Jalisco state to recapture the co-founder of the Jalisco cartel. According to El Universal, El 85 was served with an arrest warrant for extradition purposes.

Jalisco Cartel Co-Founder Erick 'El 85' Valencia Salazar Was Previously Arrested but Was Released

This was not the first time that Erick Valencia Salazar was arrested. He was first arrested on March 9, 2012, during a bloody operation within a suburb of Guadalajara. 

El 85 was accused of organized crime, stockpiling weapons, and possessing ammunition meant for the exclusive use of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Similar to the capture of other narco leaders, the arrest of El 85 sparked a wave of violence around Guadalajara. Cartel members set up narco blockades and burned vehicles to stop the military.

These narco blockades made the police and the Army deploy hundreds of security and emergency personnel in Guadalajara city and other parts of the Jalisco state, causing massive traffic jams and widespread panic.

The Jalisco cartel co-founder was sent to prison, but a judge freed him after five years, citing violations of due process and lack of evidence. On December 30, 2017, El 85 walked away from the Cefereso de Puente Grande prison as a free man.

The Jalisco cartel co-founder currently has an outstanding arrest warrant in the United States. The U.S. Department of State is offering a reward of $5 million for information leading to his arrest.

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Who Is Erick 'El 85' Valencia Salazar of Jalisco Cartel?

Erick Valencia Salazar is a Mexican drug trafficker and one of the founders of the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).

He was allegedly responsible for the illegal importation of cocaine from Mexico to the United States since 2003 and handled the drug trafficking in several states, including Jalisco, Baja California, Colima, and Michoacan.

He was also responsible for various crimes around Mexico, from kidnapping to murder and bribery. However, upon release, he reportedly broke away from the Jalisco cartel and joined Enrique Sanchez Martinez, also known as "El Cholo," to form the Nueva Plaza Cartel.

The main reason was the rumors that Jalisco cartel co-founder Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes himself handed El 85 to the police, betraying him in the process.

However, there had been much debate as to where El 85's loyalties went, as contradicting messages between the two cartels stated that the drug kingpin was aligned with them. 

It was rumored that the Jalisco cartel helped in securing El 85's release by using corrupt officials, according to Borderland Beat. El Mencho is still currently the leader of the Jalisco cartel.

READ MORE: Jalisco New Generation Cartel Members Burn Streets and Block Off Roads in 2 Mexican States After Leader's Arrest

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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