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Head of 'Blondies' cartel arrested in Mexico City

Federal police say one of the United States' most-wanted drug traffickers has been arrested at Mexico City's airport.
Image: Luis Rodriguez Olivera, known as \"El Guero\" (Blondie)
Luis Rodriguez Olivera, known as "El Guero" (Blondie) is shown in this handout photograph provided by Mexico's federal police Wednesday in Mexico City.Mexican Federal Police Handout / Reuters
/ Source: The Associated Press

Federal police say one of the United States' most-wanted drug traffickers has been arrested at Mexico City's airport.

U.S. authorities offered a reward of up to $5 million for Luis Rodriguez Olivera, or "Whitey" or "Blondie." Olivera and his brother Esteban are accused of smuggling tons of cocaine and methamphetamine into Europe and the U.S.

Luis Olivera was indicted in U.S. federal court in 2009 on cocaine-smuggling conspiracy and related charges. Federal police said in a statement that the 39-year-old, red-haired suspect was arrested Tuesday.

His gang was known as "The Blondies." Authorities say it formed temporary allegiances with bigger Mexican cartels, including the Sinaloa cartel, the Zetas and the Gulf Cartel.