Alleged leader of the Gulf Cartel arrested in Matamoros

The Ministry of National Defense reported the arrest in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, of Angel Eduardo Prado, known as "El Orejón" or "Ciclón 7", presumed head of the Gulf Cartel in the border city.

The Tamaulipas Coordination Group reported that the arrest was done at around 6:00 a.m.

Prado Rodríguez was considered one of the 15 priority objectives of the security strategy in the state.

According to the authorities, he was the only objective which remained on the lam since the activation of the strategy on May 13, 2014.

His arrest was carried out by the military, which immediately delivered him to the  Assistant Attorney General's Office for Special Investigation on Organized Crime (SEIDO).

In apparent reaction to his arrest, a series of clashes flared up in Matamoros since the morning.

Gunfights between suspected criminals and federal forces extended to various areas of the municipality, which shares a border with Brownsville, Texas.

The situation of risk concluded past 6:00 a.m., according to a source of the state Attorney General's office.

In the aftermath, the federal forces are enforcing the peace with a heavy security operation by air and land, mainly in the downtown area.