Mexican forces arrested “Beto Leyva” in Tijuana. Authorities allege he coordinated migrant smuggling into the San Diego area for a network tied to the Sinaloa Cartel.
Mexican federal forces arrested José Alberto “N,” known as “Beto Leyva,” in Tijuana. Authorities allege he coordinated migrant smuggling into Southern California for a network tied to the Sinaloa Cartel. Investigators also link him to kidnappings in which migrants’ relatives in the United States were asked to pay for their release. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said the smuggling operation ran from Tijuana into the San Diego area, including San Ysidro.
The Mexican Army, National Guard and federal criminal investigators made the arrest while carrying out searches authorized by a judge in an organized crime investigation. García Harfuch said U.S. Homeland Security Investigations shared intelligence for the operation. Mexican investigators also allege that Leyva had ties to businesses used to launder the group’s money and to a network that obtained firearms and stolen vehicles in the United States.
Authorities place Leyva in the inner circle of René Arzate García, known as “La Rana,” and his brother Alfonso, known as “El Aquiles.” Mexican officials say the brothers lead a Sinaloa Cartel faction active in Baja California, Sinaloa and Durango. In a separate U.S. case, federal prosecutors in San Diego have charged René with narcoterrorism, providing material support to terrorism and drug trafficking. The U.S. government has offered up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of each brother.
García Harfuch said Leyva was already wanted in the United States. La Jornada, which identified him as José Alberto Leyva Acosta, reported that U.S. Border Patrol arrested him in El Cajón, California, in 2007 in a migrant smuggling case. Citing federal investigative information, the newspaper said the outstanding warrant followed a failure to appear in federal court. The underlying U.S. warrant was not available for review, and the coverage reviewed did not establish whether the United States has requested extradition.
