Mexico arrests judge linked by US to notorious cartel

Mexican authorities say they have arrested a judge who the U.S. Treasury Department alleges is linked to the Jalisco New Generation cartel, one of the country’s bloodiest organized crime groups

Mexican authorities have arrested a judge who the U.S. Treasury Department alleges is linked to Jalisco New Generation, one of the country’s bloodiest drug cartels.

Mexico’s General Council of the Judiciary had presented a complaint to federal prosecutors in May against Isidro Avelar Gutiérrez for purported “asset irregularities and additional income.”

Earlier that month the U.S. Treasury designated and sanctioned him under the Kingpin Act “because of his actions on behalf” of Jalisco New Generation and an allied group known as Los Cuinis.

U.S. authorities alleged Avelar Gutiérrez took bribes from the organizations “in exchange for providing favorable judicial rulings to their senior members.”

The General Council of the Judiciary announced Friday’s arrest in Guadalajara, saying in a statement that he was being taken to Mexico City.