A top Mexican drug lord is in federal custody following his arrest in Port Isabel on Friday.
Rafael Cardenas Vela is the nephew of imprisoned Gulf Cartel kingpin Osiel Cardenas Guillen and slain Gulf Cartel Leader Antonio Cardenas Guillen aka Tony Tormenta.
He was stopped for speeding on Highway 100 in front of the Cameron County Annex Building.
Records show, at the time of his arrest, Rafael "El Junior" Cardenas presented a passport identifying him as Pedro Garcia Gonzalez.
“The officer noticed some discrepancies in the identification they presented,” said Port Isabel Chief of Police Gualberto Gonzalez. “One was a passport and one was a crossing card.”
Chief Gonzalez says after calling Immigration and Customs Enforcement the agency asked to have the suspects taken in for investigation.
He adds there was total of four men on board a ford f-150 who informed police they were headed to south padre island for dinner.
It’s a rare high profile arrest but Chief Gonzalez says his men are always prepared.
“This just brings up the fact of what kind of people are being stopped by our officers on traffic stop or being arrested for other violations,” said Gonzalez. “It makes the officers more aware. But we preach to them safety first. And don't trust anyone. Don't let your guard down.”
Cardenas along with his crew face immigration charges as well federal drug charges.
We contacted ICE and they sent us this statement;
“Ice homeland security investigations arrested Rafael Cardenas-Vela in Texas, on October 21.
This is an ongoing investigation; no additional information can be provided at this time."
Once in custody, Cardenas was interviewed by ICE agents.
He apparently admitted to having been involved in the transportation and importation of marijuana and
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