Mexico arrests Los Reyes cartel leader Alfonso Fernández Magallón PHOTO

Mexican authorities have arrested Alfonso Fernández Magallón, alias Poncho, the alleged leader of the Los Reyes cartel, in an operation hailed by both Mexican and U.S. officials.

Mexico's Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said the United States had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture, Caliber.Az reports, citing Noticias Telemundo.

Mexican authorities made it clear that Fernández Magallón was wanted domestically on charges of unlawful deprivation of liberty and organising riots.

US authorities, meanwhile, accuse him of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute narcotics.

Following his arrest, members of the Los Reyes cartel set up roadblocks and torched vehicles in several parts of the western state of Michoacán, where the criminal group operates.

Authorities said the situation is under control.

The Los Reyes cartel is active in Michoacán, one of Mexico's key agricultural export regions on the Pacific coast, where criminal groups involved in drug trafficking and extortion maintain a strong presence.

US Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson welcomed the arrest, saying it demonstrates that "criminals have nowhere to hide."

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov