A fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted list whom authorities accuse of plotting a hit on a Texas man was arrested by Mexican police over the weekend, the federal agency said Monday.
Jose Rodolfo Villarreal-Hernandez, who is also known as “El Gato,” was arrested Saturday in Atizapán de Zaragoza by officers from multiple Mexican agencies. He’s being held in the country pending extradition to the U.S.
Mr. Villareal-Hernandez is accused of stalking and orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme in May 2013 that resulted in the death of a 43-year-old man in Southlake, Texas.
“[Villareal-Hernandez’s] arrest is the next step in achieving justice for the victim’s family as well as the citizens of Southlake who were shocked by the brutal murder that occurred in their city,” James Dwyer, the FBI Dallas acting special agent in charge, said in a press release.
The victim had been stalked since March 2011, according to an investigation by the FBI’s Dallas Field Office.
Authorities believe that Mr. Villareal-Hernandez had a personal grudge against the victim. They also believe the suspect holds a leadership position in the Beltran Leyva drug-trafficking organization.
The FBI named Mr. Villareal-Hernandez to its Most Wanted list in October 2020 in hopes that it would expedite his capture.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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