La Unión Tepito leader “El Lunares” arrested in Hidalgo

In a joint operation with elements from the Navy Ministry , Mexico’s Citizen Security Ministry (SSC) arrested this Friday morning Óscar Andrés N, “El Lunares,” main operative leader of La Unión Tepito , in Hidalgo.

The arrest took place in the municipality of Tolcayuca, Hidalgo , and along with Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR) , who completed the search warrant to two properties located in the “ Los Amores de Don Juan Téllez ” suburb where authorities arrested “El Lunares.”

Investigation and intelligence of the SSC said he was the current leader of a section of La Unión Tepito , the cartel responsible for drug sale and distribution , as well as one of the main generators of violence in Mexico City .

Óscar Andrés

, who is 30 years of age and is originally from Mexico City, has a valid arrest warrant for the crime of kidnap , issued on November 30, 2019 , by Mexico City’s 114th Control Court of the Adversorial Crime System.

“El Lunares” became one of the leaders of La Unión Tepito due to his high level of violence and influence among drug dealers groups since he was their main drug supplier.

On October 22, 2019 , the SSC with help from the Navy implemented an operation in the property located in 33 Peravillo street, in the Morelos neighborhood of the Cuauhtémoc borough, where they secured several apartments used as storage units and security houses where authorities seized two tonnes of marijuana and 18 kg of cocaine.

In addition, they also seized a bag of crystal meth , 12 handguns of different calibers, seven long weapons of different calibers, several loaders and cartridges of different calibers.

Who is “El Lunares”?

After the operation, the SSC knew “El Lunares” had moved to the state of Hidalgo from where he ordered and coordinated different criminal activities in Mexico City.

After the arrest of Roberto Moyado Esparza “El Betito,” “El Pistache,” and other leaders of La Unión, “El Lunares” was in charge of the criminal group.

According to the investigation, “El Lunares” walked on the streets of Tepito , the downtown area, and the Guerrero settlement with up to 10 persons who worked as his falcons and bodyguards, which further complicated his capture. He always rode on motorcycle so as not to call too much attention.

His nickname is due to a huge mole in his face, which he had removed trying to escape authorities. In Tepito , locals say he was born there and that he has always lived in the area.

According to police reports, he has storage units where he keeps drugs inside neighborhoods located in the Peralvillo , Jesús Carranza , Bartolomé de las Casas , Matamoros , and Tenochtitlán , streets. 33 Peralvillo was the biggest of them.

Intelligence reports say that “El Lunares,” along with “ El Barbas ,” “ El Chori ,” and “ El Huguito ,” are who have carried on with extortion to commercial stores established in the downtown area, as well as with kidnaps, home invasion, and drug trafficking ; authorities have not ruled out this new cell to be involved in the homicide of “Los Floristas” that took place in Reforma.

Since “El Betito” and “El Pistache” were on the streets, “El Lunares” was in charge of boroughs like Morelos , Tepito , and Guerrero and administered Zona Rosa , Roma , Condesa , and Polanco .

Reports add that he also reported back to Roberto Mollado “El Betito” who is imprisoned in Mexico City’s Reclusorio Norte .

In 33 Peralvillo, authorities also found a tunnel that went all the way to Tenochtitlán street at the heart of Tepito where “El Lunares” might have escaped.

The chief of Mexico City’s police mentioned that in one of the properties, they detected two laboratories for the manufacture of synthetic drugs , so they seized 50 kg of chemical precursors , approximately 2.5 tonnes of marijuana , as well as 20 kg of cocaine and 4 kg of meth .

In a third and fourth property that were used as storage units by La Unión Tepito , authorities seized 13 handguns , 13 long guns , a grenade launcher , 17 long gun loaders , and 37 handgun loaders , as well as 1,520 cartridges , and 20 grenades .

They also secured a property that was used as a boarding house where several vehicles and sacks of marijuana were found, as well as MXN $1.5 million .

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