MONTERREY, Nuevo Leon – Mexican authorities arrested a top manager for Los Zetas Cartel days after Breitbart Texas unmasked him by exclusively publishing photographs and other identifying information.

Known in the criminal underworld as “El Mounstro,” Rodolfo Garza Brizeno, a long-time member of Los Zetas, was the top link between operatives in Nuevo Leon for the Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) and their current boss Hector Raul “El Tory” Luna Luna. El Tory is currently hiding in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, U.S. law enforcement sources working in Nuevo Leon tell Breitbart Texas.

Agents with Nuevo Leon’s State Investigations Agency arrested Garza and five of his associates in a series of raids in the Monterrey metropolitan area. One of the captured individuals is Garza’s wife, Nancy Yvete “Lucyfer” Zapata Gonzalez, who earned a reputation for acts of extreme violence.

The arrest comes days after Breitbart Texas exclusively published Garza’s photograph and other information about the feared duo who are linked to numerous murders throughout the region.

38-year-old Mounstro was previously known as “El Pompo.” He is a close friend of top Zetas leaders like Miguel Angel “Z-40” Trevino and his brother, Omar “Z-42, who are currently leading from behind bars, top U.S. law enforcement sources revealed to Breitbart Texas. The name change is an apparent attempt to rebrand after being arrested by Mexican Marines in 2011 during a time when Los Zetas terrorized Monterrey and carried out massacres.

El Mounstro was forced to take on a more visible role after authorities arrested Jorge Antonio “El Yorch” Gloria Palacios. That arrest came soon after Breitbart Texas published an exclusive report, identifying him as the top strategist for the CDN-Los Zetas in Monterrey.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.     

Tony Aranda from Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project contributed to this report