Mexican federal authorities have rearrested a cartel leader who leveraged his political ties and social activism to conceal his illegal activities. This figure was previously arrested in 2022 but managed to secure his release until being taken into custody again this weekend.
The government has not disclosed details about Octavio “El Tarzan” Real Moncada’s latest arrest. His name appears on the National Detention Register, and his supporters are already threatening to block roads and engage in other illegal activities if he isn’t freed.
According to reports, Real Moncada is the leader of an armed faction associated with Pedro J. Mendez, which presents itself as a self-defense group but functions as part of the Gulf Cartel. This faction has been implicated in various crimes, including murder, kidnapping, human trafficking, and extensive fuel theft operations.
He was apprehended in July 2022 due to a string of murders in Hidalgo.
In a video shared by Codigo Magenta in March, Moncada can be seen at an event claiming responsibility for killing his political rival and nephew, who was a former mayor of Hidalgo. He stated that if his rival comes back, “we will shoot him again.”
Additionally, Moncada and his associates reportedly influenced the 2022 elections in Tamaulipas, using threats to coerce locals into voting for candidates from the Morena party, including the now-governor Américo Villarreal. After Villarreal assumed office in November 2022, a Tamaulipas judge released Moncada from confinement. He remained at large until his recent arrest.
Moncada first came to public attention in 2015, when his name appeared in recorded discussions among Gulf Cartel leaders about utilizing him for targeted attacks against law enforcement.
