Notorious Gulf Cartel Leader La Kena Captured in Mexico

Arrest marks significant milestone in fight against organized crime, following his group's violent kidnapping and murder of US citizens last year.

José Alberto García Vilano, also known as La Kena or Cyclone 19, the leader of the violent Los Ciclones cell, a faction of the notorious Gulf Cartel, has been captured by Mexican marines in a shopping plaza in Monterrey.
La Kena's group is accused of kidnapping four US citizens in March last year, two of whom, Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodard, were killed. The other two, Eric Williams and Latavia McGee, survived the ordeal.
The four Americans had crossed the border into the troubled city of Matamoros from Texas for cosmetic surgery. They were fired upon and then loaded into a pickup truck by heavily armed men.
Following the incident, the Scorpions Group, another splinter cell of the Gulf Cartel, apologized for the kidnapping and turned over five individuals claiming responsibility.
La Kena's arrest marks a significant milestone in the fight against organized crime in Mexico. The Tamaulipas state prosecutors had identified him by the nickname 'Cyclone 19,' offering an additional $150,000 reward for his capture.