Mexican Cops Arrest Cartel Figure Unmasked First by Breitbart

Mexican state police officers arrested an elusive cartel operator behind numerous terror-style attacks in the border state of Nuevo Leon. The cartel figure operated in the shadows until Breitbart Texas published his photograph and other details in 2021.

This week, authorities in Nuevo Leon arrested 57-year-old Jose “El Amarillo” Leyva, an operator with the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas. The subject had been leading several squads of gunmen in northern Nuevo Leon, where he would target police forces and rivals. The arrest was carried out by Nuevo Leon’s Fuerza Civil Police based largely on intelligence and investigations started by the State Investigations Agency (AEI). At the time of the arrest, authorities also seized a weapon and a small amount of drugs.

Breitbart Texas first reported on El Amarillo’s reign of terror in 2021, when he began leading strike teams of gunmen to target local police officers in northern Nuevo Leon. Gunmen working for El Amarillo are linked to the 2021 murder of the local police chief in Dr. Coss, Francisco Leonides Cruz. As Breitbart Texas reported, a group of gunmen ambushed the police chief in a surprise attack.

Since then, the man known as El Amarillo has continued to spread his influence and has been linked to numerous terror-style attacks on police forces and locals in the Nuevo Leon -Tamaulipas region.

Law enforcement sources revealed to Breitbart Texas that El Amarillo was an elusive figure since he was a local of the region and knew his way around the rural areas. This knowledge also allowed him to move his troops under the radar of law enforcement.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..