Gang leader gets 60-year sentence

The leader of a crime gang notorious for siphoning gasoline from government fuel ducts has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for kidnapping, according to authorities in the central Mexico state of Guanajuato.

José Antonio Yépez Ortiz had been one of Mexico’s most wanted suspects prior to his arrest Aug. 2, 2020, following a shootout with police. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador praised the arrest at the time as “important, very important.”

The state Attorney General’s Office said late Friday the man known as “El Marro” — which means “The Sledgehammer” — was sentenced by a court in the region. Local news media said he still faces charges of attempted homicide, robbery of fuel and organized crime.