Sweeping Arrests Target Mexican Drug Cartels

WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal agents have rounded up more than 700 suspects in a wide-ranging crackdown on Mexican drug cartels operating inside the United States.

A law enforcement official familiar with the sweep said the arrests culminated in a series of Drug Enforcement Administration raids Tuesday night and Wednesday morning around the country. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because authorities were still gathering evidence.

The operation has led to the arrests of 751 individuals and the seizure of $59 million in suspected criminal proceeds, the official said, though it was not immediately clear how many of the arrests came in the overnight raids.

Attorney General Eric Holder plans to announce results of the crackdown at an afternoon news conference in Washington.

Kidnappings, killings and other violence related to the cross-border drug trade have escalated as heavily armed gangs battle for turf on the doorstep of the U.S. narcotics market.

By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)