The head of a major family drug-dealing cartel in Tijuana, a city bordering the United States which is plagued by rampant gang violence, has been arrested, police said yesterday.

Eduardo Arellano Felix, nicknamed "the Doctor", was arrested in an operation Saturday night, said spokesmen of the National Defense Ministry (Sedena) and Federal Public Security (SSPF).

The police exchanged fire with the gangsters before getting into the house where he had been hiding, they said.

With Eduardo's detention, "the generation of the (Arellano) brothers who formed that criminal structure has been dismantled," SSPF Vice Minister Facundo Rosas told a press conference.

Eduardo Arellano was fully identified for his burnt scars in both arms and chest, Rosas said.

"The detention of Eduardo Arellano Felix means a strong blow to that criminal group," and he will face charges of drug trafficking, use of arms exclusive to the Mexican army and kidnapping, said the official.

However, Rosas noted that his sister Enedina Arellano is still on the run.

Eduardo Arellano Felix headed a family cartel struggling to control the lucrative drug trade in Tijuana. He had been wanted by Mexican and US authorities in connection with the smuggling of tones of marijuana and cocaine from Mexico to the Untied States each year.

The US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has offered an bounty of US$5 million for information that can help nab him.

Eduardo Arellano's arrest follows that of his three brothers, Benjamin, Francisco Rafael and Francisco Javier. Benjamin and Francisco Javier Arellano have been extradited to the United States.

Also detained during the operation was Luis Ramirez Vazquez, another alleged drug trafficker.