Arrest of Mexican Drug Kingpin Alcides Ramon Magana

ANSWER: The United States commends the Government of Mexico for its arrest on June 12 of Alcides Ramon Magana, known as "El Metro," widely believed to be a key figure in the notorious Juarez-based drug trafficking organization of the late Amado Carrillo Fuentes. He was arrested in the city of Villahermosa, Mexico, and charged with drug, weapons, and other charges relating to his suspected role as director of the southeastern operations of the Juarez-based group. Authorities have linked him to the former governor of Quintana Roo state, Mario Villanueva, who was arrested in May.

The Government of Mexico has made a number of important arrests in recent months that demonstrate the Fox Administration’s commitment to combating the international drug trade and to effective international cooperation. We likewise welcome the extradition of international drug trafficker Rafael Camarena Macias to the United States on June 12. He was sought by U.S. authorities on drug charges and is suspected of operating an underground tunnel capable of moving huge quantities of illicit drugs across the border near Douglas, Arizona.