Criminal leader "La Tripa" arrested in Puebla; previously photographed with ex-governor Cuauhtémoc Blanco

Homero Figueroa Meza, alias "La Tripa," a prominent criminal leader in the Mexican state of Morelos, has been arrested in Cholula, Puebla. The apprehension was carried out by the Secretariat of Citizen Security and Protection and the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Attorney General's Office (FGR).

Figueroa Meza gained notoriety after appearing in a photograph alongside former Morelos Governor Cuauhtémoc Blanco and other alleged cartel leaders. The image, circulated in January 2022, also featured Irving Eduardo Solano Vera, "El Profe," identified as a leader of the Guerreros Unidos cartel and later a plaza boss for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Another individual in the photo, Raymundo Isidro Castro Santiago, "El Ray," a regional CJNG leader in Morelos, was murdered in October 2019.

Federal investigations suggest the photograph was taken while Blanco was serving as the municipal president of Cuernavaca between 2016 and 2018. Figueroa Meza is described as the leader of the criminal cell "Comando Tlahuica" or "Los Tlahuicas," implicated in homicide and extortion activities in several municipalities of Morelos.

The arrest was part of the National Strategy Against Extortion, stemming from citizen complaints and intelligence gathering. During the operation, authorities seized a handgun, various doses of marijuana and crystal methamphetamine, a forged identification, and the vehicle used by the detainees. Figueroa Meza and an unidentified woman were taken into custody and are now at the disposal of the Public Ministry.

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With the information gathered, fixed and mobile surveillance was implemented in the municipality of San Pedro Cholula, Puebla, where agents located two people traveling in a vehicle. After conducting a security inspection, they corroborated the identity of Homero “N” and proceeded with his arrest along with a woman.