Mexican jailed gang leader Escamilla dies

Moisés Escamilla May, a notorious Mexican gang leader, has died in prison after contracting coronavirus.

Escamilla, 45, was the leader of a group within the feared criminal cartel Los Zetas.

He was serving a 37-year sentence for organized crime, including his role in the decapitation of 12 people in Mérida, Yucatán.

More than 3,450 have died with Covid-19 in Mexico, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Who was Moisés Escamilla?

Moisés Escamilla May, also known as Gordo May (Fat May), led a group calling itself “Old School Zetas”, which formed part of the Los Zetas criminal cartel.

He was the main supplier of cocaine in Cancún, smuggling it via maritime routes from Central America into the popular beach resort.

He also ran a network of informants which included members of the local police force.

• A guide to Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels

When he was arrested in 2008 along with eight of his men, his group was considered the strongest criminal organisation in the Cancún area.

He was viewed as a highly dangerous inmate and when he died was being held at the Puente Grande maximum security prison in Jalisco state.

He developed respiratory problems on 6 May and died two days later, but authorities only made his death public on Sunday.

Source: BBC