Hernán Bermúdez, the alleged leader of the violent "La Barredora" cartel that operates in the southeastern Mexican state of Tabasco, was arrested in Paraguay on Friday night in a joint operation between Mexican and local authorities.

Bermúdez was appointed head of Tabasco's security in 2019 by then-governor and now senator Adán Augusto López, a heavyweight of the ruling Morena party, who was secretary of the interior in the administration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Bermúdez came under investigation in late 2024 and an arrest warrant was issued in February, citing crimes of "criminal association, extortion, and express kidnapping".

An Interpol red notice was issued in July.

Paraguay President Santiago Peña praised the cooperation that led to the arrest and underscored the policy of zero tolerance.

The arrest is one of the most politically significant ones of Claudia Sheinbaum's presidency, along with the recent arrest of a senior navy commander, along with 13 other officials and business leaders, connected to a massive fuel theft network.