Tulsi Gabbard reveals that U.S. intelligence led to capture of Mexican Sinaloa Cartel leader 'El Pato'
Unlike prior administrations, President Donald Trump and his team appear to be serious about taking on and scoring wins against the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for so much crime and drug-related deaths in the United States.
On Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard shared the news of one such victory with the announced capture of a Sinaloa Cartel Plaza leader known as "El Pato," according to Breitbart.
Gabbard revealed that "actionable intelligence" gathered by the U.S. and shared with Mexican authorities led directly to cartel boss Leonardo Daniel Martinez Vera being taken into custody last week.
Top cartel leader captured
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a press release on Tuesday to announce the October 15 capture of "El Pato" in Juarez, Mexico, by Mexican law enforcement agents acting on timely intelligence provided by the National Counterterrorism Center.
He is allegedly responsible for "a wide range of illicit activities, including drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, and murder," and was captured along with three other cartel members while attempting to flee a coordinated pair of raids of two houses of interest that the NCTC had identified.
"We will not allow cartel gangs who target Americans to roam freely, whether in the U.S. or across the border in Mexico," DNI Gabbard said in a statement. "Our team at NCTC is on the watch, preparing for the moment to strike."
"For more than two decades, NCTC has led the Intelligence Community in synchronizing information that can be turned into actionable intelligence for operators around the world to act on to go after those who threaten the safety and security of the American people," she added. "Now, thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are surging resources against cartels and gang leadership, disrupting their networks, and working alongside our Mexican partners to make communities safer and protect American lives."
Operation stemmed from Trump's terror designation for cartels
The ODNI press release cited a Day One executive order from President Trump that designated the Mexican drug cartels, including Sinaloa, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, which allowed for the dedication of NCTC resources to locate and keep tabs on the whereabouts of the cartel's leader.
It also noted that the raid to capture "El Pato" was the result of a nine-month interagency operation that involved the NCTC, FBI, a joint task force, the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service, with support from aerial and marine elements of the Texas Department of Public Safety and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in conjunction with a special Mexican law enforcement unit.
NCTC Director Joe Kent shared on X a photo of the detained cartel boss and wrote, "Simon says: turn around if you’re wearing handcuffs!"
"NCTC provided critical tactical information to American and Mexican law enforcement partners to arrest a cartel threat. This week, Sinaloa Plaza Boss Leonardo Daniel Martinez Vera (aka “El Pato”) was apprehended while fleeing a raid in Juarez," he added. "We will pursue every terrorist who traffics deadly drugs into the United States to keep our homeland secure."
High praise for the NCTC's work
Kent's post was also shared on X by Gabbard, who posted, "Excellent work by @NCTCKent and the counterterrorism team leading to the capture of dangerous drug trafficker and murderer, El Pato."
"NCTC is leading the Intelligence Community in driving actionable intelligence to law enforcement to target cartel threats that endanger American citizens," she added. "Thanks to @POTUS's leadership, we are surging resources to disrupt cartel networks and working alongside our Mexican partners to make communities safer and protect American lives."
Breitbart noted that the use of counterterrorism resources to track down the cartel leader and apparent cooperation with Mexican law enforcement to successfully nab him suggest that similar high-profile criminal targets could likewise be dramatically taken into custody in the near future.