U.S. ADDS PRESSURE FOR NARCOTICS KINGPIN

Federal authorities in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday identified Vicente
Carrillo-Fuentes, brother of a Mexican drug lord who died in 1997
after undergoing plastic surgery, as the new leader of a Juarez-area
cartel. Although a federal grand jury had returned a 27-count
indictment against Carrillo-Fuentes in August 1997 and requested his
extradition from Mexico in November of that year, authorities unsealed
the documents only this week.

Some officials said they decided to publicize the indictment -- which
lists seizures of 8,265 pounds of cocaine and 9,395 pounds of
marijuana over a 12-year period -- partly to increase pressure on
Mexico to snare Carrillo-Fuentes and deliver him to the United States.

The Juarez and Tijuana cartels are believed to be Mexico's two largest
drug organizations. Vicente's brother, Amado Carrillo-Fuentes, was
legendary for his abilities to bully or coax Colombian drug
traffickers into working with him. After Amado's death on July 4,
1997, linked to plastic surgery undertaken to hide his identity, the
Juarez-El Paso drug organization fell into violent disarray.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady