Edgar Valdez Villarreal

Authorities say a U.S.-born hitman is fighting the brother of a deceased drug lord for control of the Beltran-Leyva cartel, marking what may be the first time an American has risen to the very top ranks of the Mexican Cartel.

Ramon Pequeno, head of the anti-narcotics division of Mexico’s federal police, said Tuesday that Texas-born Edgar Valdez Villarreal, nicknamed “La Barbie,” is battling Hector Beltran Leyva for control of the Beltran Leyva cartel.

“Right now it appears there is an internal dispute for control of the organization , On one side is `La Barbie‘ and on the other side is Hector Beltran, the natural heir of the organization.”

Pequeno said the battle was unleashed when cartel leader Arturo Beltran Leyva died in a shootout with Mexican marines in December. Both men are apparently carrying out killings in bids to take control of the Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful.

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The Public Safety Department said in a statement Saturday night that Carlos Beltran Leyva was arrested in Culiacan, the capital of the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa, where he and several of his brothers were born and allegedly started their Drug Cartel.

A third brother, Alfredo, was arrested in January 2008. At least one other brother, Mario, remains at large and is listed as one of Mexico’s 24 most-wanted drug lords, with a $2 million reward offered for his capture. Carlos Beltran was not included on the list, although the Public Safety Department said there had been a warrant for his arrest since 2008.

The Beltran Leyva brothers worked side by side with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, before they broke away after Gulf Cartel leader Osiel Cardenas was arrested in 2003. They soon seized the lucrative drug routes in northeastern Mexico.

Authorities from the southeastern state of Tabasco will offer more details on the arrests later today, said a spokeswoman for the state attorney general’s office, who can’t be identified because of government policy.

The people arrested are suspected of being hit men for the drug cartel run by Arturo Beltran Leyva, the alleged kingpin killed in last week’s gunfight, El Universal reported on its Web site, citing Rafael Gonzalez, the state’s prosecutor. The arrests were made in a hotel in Tabasco, the newspaper reported.

Soldiers guard alleged drug cartel lieutenant Hector Huerta Rios after a press conference to show him to the media in Mexico City, Wednesday, March 25, 2009. Huerta Rios, who allegedly ran operations for the Beltran Leyva drug cartel, was detained Tuesday in Monterrey, northern Mexico

Soldiers take part in an operation to capture drug kingpin Hector Huerta Rios in the suburb of San Pedro Garza Garcia in Monterrey, northern Mexico March 24, 2009. Soldiers on Tuesday captured Huerta Rio from the Beltran Leyva cartel who is accused of the killing of a police chief in this industrial city. Huerta Rios was seized along with five persons, weapons and money at his car dealership.