TIJUANA – Baja California law enforcement officials say they have dismantled an important kidnapping ring linked to the Arellano Félix cartel that was behind January's abduction of real estate agents active in selling coastal properties in Tijuana and Rosarito Beach.

Nine people were arrested after the rescue late Wednesday of another kidnapping victim, a 24-year-old business owner and mother of three from San Quintin, an agricultural region south of the port of Ensenada. She was kidnapped Feb. 24 from her house, and her captors had demanded a ransom of $250,000.

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Baja California Attorney General Rommel Moreño Manjarréz announced the arrests late Thursday at a news conference in Tijuana. He said the suspects were involved in kidnapping seven people for ransom: Six were released and one was killed. The kidnappers demanded ransoms ranging from $100,000 to $300,000, Moreño said.

Originally focused on drug trafficking, the Arellano Félix cartel has branched out into other crimes, including kidnapping, immigrant smuggling and vehicle theft, Moreño said.

The suspects detained this week in Ensenada and Tijuana told investigators that they reported to Saul Montes de Oca, a suspected member of the Arellano Félix cartel, Moreño said.

The group is suspected of kidnapping the two female real estate agents in January; both hold U.S. and Mexican citizenship, and one has a residence in Chula Vista, according to U.S. authorities. The women were rescued in Tijuana on Jan. 30 by members of Baja California's anti-kidnapping squad.

Agents detained five suspects in that case, which allowed them to develop information leading to the rescue of the San Quintin woman, Moreño said