Cancun crime boss Leticia Rodríguez Lara, ‘Doña Lety’ arrested

The alleged leader of the Cancun cartel, Leticia Rodríguez Lara, known as ‘Doña Lety’ or ‘La 40’ was captured in a hotel located near Puebla City. Lara is 48 years old and served as a federal police officer until she entered the ranks of organized crime, linking with the Sinaloa cartel. Authorities believe she created a crime network in which she included the police inside the department in which she worked, who she corrupted to carry out various crimes. She is accused of having created a growing network of street drug sales that turned itself into one of the most violent cells linked to the Sinaloa cartel, where deserters of the criminal groups Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel were recruited.

Crimes included extortion of bars and restaurants in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. She was able to manage the whole Cancun tourist zone where she carried out several attacks against opposition groups or civilians who did not pay the taxes demanded.

Four people were killed in January during an attack on the state prosecutor’s office in the resort town. Teams of cartel gunmen on motorcycles conducted simultaneous attacks on the Police Communications headquarters and Quintana Roo State Prosecutors Office in Cancun.