Authorities arrest cartel leader behind the attack against National Geographic journalist in Mexico 

On May 29, Mexican authorities announced the arrest of a cartel leader allegedly involved in as many as 50 murders and an attack on a U.S. journalist.

Prosecutors in Chihuahua identified the suspect as Omar Alfredo , aka “El Fredy.”

Authorities arrest cartel leader behind the attack against National Geographic journalist in Mexico 

Authorities alleged the suspect ordered a gun attack on bodyguards protecting Governor Javier Corral in February and the shooting of a National Geographic journalist in Ciudad Juárez in October 2019.

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Chihuahua authorities described “El Fredy” as a leader of gunmen for the La Empresa cartel, a criminal organization that emerged after the Juárez drug cartel broke down.

Prosecutors said the journalist went to a pre-arranged meeting to interview a rival of “El Fredy,” but the suspect was tipped off about it and staged the attack to sow fear. The journalist was shot in the leg and survived. An alleged drug dealer died at the attack site, while another died in a hospital.

The suspect has been jailed pending trial on homicide charges.

is just across the border from El Paso, Texas, and an important drug trafficking route.

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