Mexico arrests alleged prominent fentanyl trafficker

An alleged Mexican drug trafficker accused of coordinating and financing an organization dedicated to transporting chemical precursors used for the production of fentanyl from China to Mexico and the United States was arrested in Mexico City on Tuesday, Mexico's security minister said.



Jose Angel Rivera, also known by his alias Don Flaco, was detained by Mexican authorities in a joint operation carried out alongside the FBI and the US Drug Enforcement Administration.



Rivera had been sanctioned by the US State Department in January 2023 for his alleged involvement in fentanyl trafficking into the US.



Earlier on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump told the United Nations that Mexico was the epicenter of drug cartel violence, adding that the country had to reclaim control of its territory.