• DECISION: Arguing that its arrest was unlawful, sources say that on Thursday a Mexican federal judge in the central state of Guanajuato, freed the wife of Antonio Yépez, aka ‘El Marro’, the alleged leader of the violent Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, which has fuel-theft as one of its core activities.
• RAID: According to police sources, the judge determined that the arrest of “Karina N” and three other suspects in January was unlawful, given that it happened during a raid by federal and state forces at a different address to the actual one for which they had legal authorization to do so.
• CARTEL: Founded in 2014, the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel is a criminal organization based in the industrial corridor of southwestern Guanajuato, which has expanded from fuel theft to other activities like extortion. Currently, the group is in a violent territorial fight with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
• ARREST: After the raid last week, state and federal authorities said that they had arrested “Karina N” and three other suspects in the small community of San Miguel Octopan just outside the industrial hub of Celaya; authorities said they had found long weapons, drugs, and cash during the arrest.
