Mexico arrests suspected cartel boss in connection with 43 missing students | Crime News

The arrest of Gildardo Lopez Astudillo came weeks before the tenth anniversary of the students' disappearance.

Mexican authorities say they have arrested a suspected cartel leader linked to the disappearance of dozens of students ten years ago.

Gildardo Lopez Astudillo, the alleged leader of the cartel, was arrested on charges of “organized crime” and taken to the maximum security Altiplano prison in southern Mexico, Reuters news agency reported, citing a source in the federal security service.

It is the second time Lopez Astudillo, known as “El Gil,” has been detained since the cartel he allegedly leads was accused of orchestrating the disappearance and alleged murder of 43 students in Iguala in 2014. The case shocked the nation and sparked years of protests.

Lopez Astudillo's arrest came as relatives prepare demonstrations to mark the 10th anniversary of the students' disappearance.

He was first arrested in 2015 and released in 2019 after a judge found that the evidence against him had been obtained illegally.

Lopez Astudillo later acted as a protected witness for the prosecution and, according to the newspaper El Pais, provided alleged details about the criminal group's involvement in the students' disappearance.

What happened to the missing students?

In September 2014, investigators believe that 43 students who were on their way to a political demonstration in Mexico City were kidnapped by the Guerreros Unido drug cartel in collaboration with corrupt police officers.

The exact circumstances of her disappearance remain unknown, but a government-appointed truth commission called the case a “state crime” and said the military was either directly or through negligence responsible.

Arrests have been made or ordered for dozens of suspects, including military personnel and a former attorney general who led a controversial investigation into the mass disappearances.

The remains of only a few victims could be identified.