Mexico Ex-Defense Minister Detained in U.S. on Drug Charges

  • Former army chief Cienfuegos held in L.A., being flown to NY
  • Case is linked to drug trafficking trial of ex-police chief
Salvador Cienfuegos in Mexico City in 2018.Photographer: Lujan Agusti/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Mexico’s former defense minister was detained Thursday by U.S. authorities on drug charges, becoming the nation’s most senior military official investigated in a narcotics case.

General Salvador Cienfuegos was held by U.S. authorities on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s orders, after arriving at a Los Angeles airport. On Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Twitter that Cienfuegos will be flown to New York to face five charges related to drug trafficking.