Mexican Official Charged In Drug Cartel Crackdown Had Access To LAPD Information

An "international liaison" for the Baja California Attorney General's Office was charged as part of a federal crackdown on a major Mexican drug cartel, and authorities say he had access to Los Angeles Police Department data as well as that of other Southern California law enforcement agencies, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Jesus Quiñónez Márquez, director of international liaison for the office, allegedly worked for the Fernando Sanchez Organization, a.k.a. the Tijuana Cartel, which was hit in recent days by a U.S. crackdown that included the arrests of 42 other alleged members of the syndicate, according to the U-T.

A U.S. Attorney's Office complaint states that Quiñónez helped to have rivals jailed and used his authority to shift "blame" away from the cartel. He is said to have had access to data from the California Highway Patrol, the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego Sheriff's Department as well.

The U-T states the the organization "grew from the wreckage of the Arellano Félix cartel" and that its leader is Fernando Sanchez Arellano, "a nephew of notorious brothers and cartel leaders Javier, Ramon and Benjamin Arellano Félix ... "

The task force made arrests throughout San Diego County and in Tijuana. Quiñónez was arrested Thursday in San Diego. An attorney said he was innocent and noted that he had cordial relationships with the San Diego District Attorney's office and the FBI.