Mexican soldiers kill suspected cartel leader as anti-crime campaign escalates

Mexican soldiers ​killed a suspected leader ​of the Los ‌Reyes cartel ​in western Mexico, the defense ministry said on Tuesday, as Mexico ‌continues to escalate its war against cartels and organized crime. The U.S. had offered a $3 million reward for information leading to ‌the arrest of Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez, whom ‌U.S. authorities identified as a top hitman for the Los Reyes cartel, a faction of the Carteles Unidos criminal group.

According to a ⁠statement ​from Mexico's ⁠defense ministry, soldiers killed Barragan during an operation in Tocumbo in ⁠the state of Michoacan during a clash in which authorities ​say the soldiers came under fire. In addition to Barragan, ⁠another suspected cartel associate was killed in the operation. Barragan, who was ⁠accused ​of coordinating extortion rackets in territory controlled by the Los Reyes faction, had also been indicted in ⁠the United States on drug conspiracy and firearms charges.

Michoacan has ⁠long been ⁠plagued by cartel violence and extortion targeting avocado producers supplying the United States, its primary ‌market.