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American fugitive on FBI’s wanted list arrested in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — A fugitive wanted for multiple federal criminal charges, to include murder, kidnapping and racketeering, has been captured in Playa del Carmen and returned to the United States.

The announcement of the arrest was made by U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.

On February 26, 2019, San Antonio FBI announced a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest of 47-year-old Juan Alberto Mendez, an alleged associate of the Gulf Cartel, formerly of Mission, Texas.

Alberto Mendez was wanted for his alleged involvement in drug racketeering, including murder in aid of racketeering, between 2015 and 2018 in Indiana and Texas.

His criminal charges date back to 2015, when he was wanted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana on a federal arrest warrant after he was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, marijuana and forfeiture.

In May of 2018, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued a federal arrest warrant after Mendez was charged with conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering and kidnapping resulting in death.

On August 1, 2019, Mendez was captured in Playa del Carmen and deported back to the United States. He has already been presented before a federal judge in Houston.

In their press release, the FBI says the arrest of Mendez resulted from the cooperative efforts of the San Antonio FBI, Indianapolis FBI, the FBI’s Legal Attaché assigned to the United States Embassy in Mexico City, the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalia General De La Republica — FGR), the Criminal Investigations Agency, Mexico (Agencia de Investigaciones Criminales — AIC), and the National Institute of Immigration (Instituto Nacional de Migración).