Zapopan, Mexico - The wife of Mexico's most-wanted drug dealer, known as "El Mencho," has been captured during a military operation in the country's west, the Mexican Defence Ministry announced on Tuesday.

Soldiers caught Rosalinda Gonzalez Valencia in the city of Zapopan in the state of Jalisco.

She is said to be responsible for the finances of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

The drug cartel has grown in recent years to become the most powerful criminal organization in Mexico. It is known for its brutality against rival gangs and state security forces.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is offering a reward worth $10 million for the capture of "El Mencho."

His wife Gonzalez Valencia comes from an influential drug-trafficking family and was already arrested once in 2018 before being released on bail.

She allegedly ran a network of dozens of companies to launder the CJNG's illicit profits.