Chocolate cake is usually a happy surprise on your birthday, a symbol that you're loved and cared for, unless you're a drug lord trying to keep your "business" on the "down low".

This story is almost as charming as a nice chocolate cake. What was meant to be a gesture of well wishes, became the lead needed for police to arrest a notorious Mexican drug lord.

Servando Gomez Martinez, a.k.a. “La Tuta,” was the last leader of the Knights Templar who was still living outside prison. The Knights Templar is a drug cartel in Mexico, and with it, Martinez controlled over 50 methamphetamine labs, and profited millions from illegal mining, extortion and kidnapping. The man had a reputation for ruthlessness, committing brutal kidnappings, and extortion.

Martinez spent his days heavily guarded by his men, hiding in secluded ranches and caves to avoid getting caught by the police. He traveled only by four-wheeler and on horseback. This is a far cry from his former life - born in the farmlands of Michoacan, he taught elementary school and had worked at a teachers college before entering the world of organized crime, becoming one of the most wanted fugitives in Mexico.

So, how is it that such a cunning man would finally get arrested?

Our hero: chocolate cake.

As a kind birthday gesture, Martinez's girlfriend sent him some chocolate cake. Unfortunately, along the way, one of Martinez's hired men messed up big time. The police were already doing everything they could to track any move Martinez made. The hired man left a digital trail from the phone he'd used to place the order, and lead police right to Martinez's doorstep. This slip up is all they needed to set up the arrest.

With that arrest, Mexican authorities described the Knights Templar as largely dismantled, but others predict violence will continue in Michoacan. The drug trade marches on, and the militia has split into rival warring factions, with most of the founding leaders now in prison. Source: TampaBay.com

 Photo: "Birthday Cake" by Omer Wazir is licensed under CC BY SA 2.0 / cropped from original

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Ashleigh Rader

Content Developer at Chocolate University Online

All her life, Ashleigh has enjoyed, indulged in, and spread the gift of chocolate. She says, "life's too short to skip dessert." Ashleigh joined CUO to help share on our blog and social networks more about the wonders of chocolate.

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