A dozen suspected members of the powerful Mexican drug cartel known as "Los Cuinis" were arrested in Uruguay, among them Gerardo González Valencia, one of the leaders of the group.
According to a government source, the group was identified due to the purchase of a series of properties at the posh Punta del Este area through Panamanian company Mossack Fonseca.
"González Valencia has been arrested, he is one of eleven. The judge is still working on the case," reported a source from the Uruguayan judiciary. The suspect is facing an international capture request from the United States, for drug trafficking.
The Uruguayan authorities have been following the case since 2015, but the arrest process was accelerated after the name of González Valencia appeared among the information leaked on what came to be known as the "Panama Papers" a few weeks ago.
"Los Cuinis" are a group of drug traffickers linked to the Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), which instead of focusing on the sale of drugs to the U.S. market has mostly invaded Europe and Asia.