Mexico City ? Federal police on Monday captured a long-sought, alleged Texas-born gang kingpin who faces drug trafficking charges in the U.S. and has been blamed for a vicious turf war that has included bodies hung from bridges and shootouts in central Mexico.

The announcement came just hours after the government said nearly 10 percent of the federal police force has been fired this year as part of a campaign to root out corruption.

The arrest of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, alias “the Barbie,” was the culmination of yearlong intelligence operations, said Alejandro Poire, the government’s security spokesman.

“This capture constitutes a blow of great impact against organized crime,” Poire said.

President Felipe Calderon also announced the capture on Twitter, calling Valdez “one of the most-wanted criminals in Mexico and abroad.” Calderon said operations to bring down this trafficking gang will continue.

Valdez, 37, was captured in the state of Mexico, which borders the capital of Mexico City, the Public Safety Department said in a statement.

It was accompanied by a photograph of Valdez — whose fair skin and blue eyes earned him his nickname — sporting stubble as he kneels on the ground, a police officer’s hand on his shoulder.