MEXICO. - The Mexican government has confirmed the arrest of Ines Coronel Barreras, who is father of the most wanted drug lord in Mexico, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, in an operation that took place early Tuesday morning.

Coronel, 45, was arrested by agents of the Federal Police along with four others, including his son, Ines Coronel, 25, said at a press conference the Undersecretary of Media Regulations of the Ministry of Interior, Eduardo Sanchez.

Sanchez said the arrest of Coronel barreras, one of the main operators of Guzman, was held in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. Today he arrived at the Mexican capital escorted by police.

According to a senior official, Coronel was involved in marijuana production in the mountains of Durango-located in the northwest of the country- storage and transportation of the drug from Sonora to Arizona.

The investigations of this case began in January of this year, and the arrest took place yesterday around 7:00a.m. local time in Sonora.

"This person was caught in the act" while in possession of rifles, cartridges and drug packages, Sanchez said, and who also noted the "impeccable fieldwork" by the Federal Police.

In this operation, authorities seized several vehicles, packages of marijuana, four assault rifles and a gun.

The U.S. Treasury Department last January included Coronel Barreras in the list of individuals who would have their assets frozen under U.S. jurisdiction, and also prohibited any commercial or financial exchange with them to cooperate in the drug trafficking network of "El Chapo".

When asked about whether if they were closing in on the leader of the Sinaloa cartel, Sanchez said that the Mexican security institutions continue to work to "gradually" neutralize the objectives identified as priorities within the criminal organizations operating in the country.

According to the Mexican government and U.S. agencies DEA, CIA and FBI, the Sinaloa cartel is the largest exporter of drugs not only the United States but to other countries in Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

The state of Durango, which along with Chihuahua and Sinaloa make up the so-called "golden triangle" of drugs in Mexico, and is considered as one of the possible hideouts of "El Chapo", who in 2001 escaped from a high security prison.

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Omar.Martinez@Sandiegored.com