Mexican Cartel Leader Arrested

(Michoacan, Mexico)

Mexican troops on Monday seized Dionicio Loya Plancarte, also known as "El Tio" ("Uncle"), a high-ranking leader of the Knights Templar cartel.

The 58-year-old had a 30-million-peso (1.64-million-euro/$2.25-million) reward on his head from the government for drug, organized crime and money laundering charges.

The Knights Templar gang is blamed for much of the crime in western Mexico's troubled state of Michoacan. Federal forces have moved into the area in recent weeks to disarm vigilantes and flush out the gang.

The vigilantes are now working with Mexican troops.