In mid-2015, members of the group even used a rocket-propelled grenade to shoot down an army Black Hawk helicopter, killing nine. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. [6][17][18] Upon his arrest, Rosales Mendoza was taken into custody to Mexico City and kept in La Palma prison until he was taken to Puente Grande, a maximum security prison in the western state of Jalisco, on 28 October 2004 for 10 years. [57], On October 22, 2009, U.S. federal authorities announced the results of a four-year investigation into the operations of La Familia Michoacana in the United States dubbed Project Coronado. Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program, Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community, DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements, Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist, Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems, Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources. And in a particularly twisted initiation ritual, young members of the Jalisco New Generation cartel were forced to eat the hearts of murder victims. Several others were wounded. The couple is acussed of kidnapping five people from the village of La Bocanda in December- all of whom remain missing. More than 300 federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies contributed investigative and prosecutorial resources to Project Coronado through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Line: 478 They also produced large amounts of methamphetamine along the highlands of the Sierra Madre. They have made several arrests but have never been able to locate Flores Camargo's heads. The investigative efforts in Project Coronado were coordinated by the multi-agency Special Operations Division, comprising agents and analysts from the DEA, FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. [37][38] La Familia cartel emphasizes religion and family values during recruitment and has placed banners in areas of operations claiming that it does not tolerate substance abuse or exploitation of women and children. The governor's half-brother Julio Csar Godoy Toscano, who was elected July 5, 2009 to the lower house of Congress, was accused of being a top-ranking member of La Familia Michoacana drug cartel and of providing political protection for the cartel. MND Staff. According to a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration profile, La Familia members are believed to undergo a three- to six-month training camp in Michoacan. [15][16] As of 2011, La Familia Michoacana still exists, mostly active in Estado de Mexico,[17][18] despite the killing of its founder and leader Nazario Moreno Gonzlez. Michael Braun, former DEA chief of operations, states that it operates "superlabs" in Mexico capable of producing up to 100 pounds of meth in eight hours. All times AEDT (GMT +11). Carlos Rosales Mendoza dies. This story has been shared 102,822 times. The Knights Templar Cartel indoctrinates its operatives to "fight and die" for the cartel. Mendoza helped form La Familia in 2000 after rising through the ranks of local drug gangs, when he . A similar event took place in 2015 when hopefuls of La Familia Michoacana were forced to eat their rivals after torturing them and cutting them up while alive. 9. Univision fires anchor for racist Michelle Obama insult, 'Star Wars Episode 8' to be released May 2017, Talking Barbie is too 'creepy' for some parents, Scammer tries to swindle top tax-crime fighter, Authorities say Nazario Moreno Gonzalez crafted La Familia's philosophy, His death comes after two days of clashes, The cartel espouses religious values and claims to protect people, It is known for violence, including hurling decapitated heads onto a dance floor. Overall, almost 2 metric tons (2.2 short tons) of cocaine, 1,240 kilograms (2,730lb) of methamphetamine, 13 kilograms (29lb) of heroin, 7,430 kilograms (16,380lb) of marijuana, 389 weapons, 269 vehicles, and the two drug labs were seized. Tuesdays bloody raid involved dozens of heavily armed police as well as troops from the army, the navy and the National Guard. The shooting took place when members of the Attorney Generals Office of the State of Mexico and members of the National Guard fought with armed members of La Familia Michoacana. According to plea documents, from September 2007 through October 21, 2009, Rueda-Medina held a leadership position within LFM, a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate based in the Mexican State of Michoacn. La Familia has since become one of the biggest methamphetamine traffickers to the United States. "This is demonstrated by its false calls for a truce and the confessions of its members.". Cops were led by the suspects to an industrial warehouse turned nightclub in Tenango del Valle, about an hour from Mexico City. [39] Advancement within the organization depends as much on regular attendance at prayer meetings as on target practice. It will undergo a necropsy under the charge of specialist vets from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEMex), according to the paper. The indictment says Gomez is in charge of acquiring weapons for the cartel and may be behind the murder of 12 Mexican federal law enforcement officers whose bodies were found in July 2009 following the arrest of another La Familia leader. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The small spider monkey was found with his arms outstretched as if holding his owner, who was carrying him by the shoulders. Last week, the Federal Police (Polica Federal) captured Hilario Lpez Morales, alias "El Gato", identified as one of the principal operators of the drug cartel "La Familia Michoacana." Along with "El Gato," a presumed leader of the cartel organization "La Familia Michoacana," captured Read More "[14] However, President Felipe Caldern's government refused to strike a deal with the cartel and rejected their calls for dialogue. We've received your submission. Nicknames for the 40-year-old drug lord included "El Chayo," "The Doctor" and "The Craziest One." "La Familia Michoacana also gives money to school and local official.". (April 2020) La Familia Michoacana Cartel Area of influences of the La Familia . Horrified investigators discovered a secret mass grave under the floor of human body parts which are thought to be of at least 20 people. [12], Rosales Mendoza was found dead on December 28, 2015 in a car park in Gabriel Zamora, Michoacn along with three other bodies. CNN's Ariel Crespo and Rafael Romo contributed to this report. It extorts "taxes" from businesses, pays for community projects, controls petty crime, and settles some local disputes. [1] He was a close friend and associate of Osiel Crdenas Guilln, the former leader of the Gulf Cartel. Local media described a message found at the gruesome scene: "La Familia does not kill for money, does not kill women, does not kill innocents. La Familia Michoacana (The Michoacano Family) is a Mexican drug cartel. During this time it went by the name MataZetas, or Zetas killers, and once dumped the bodies of 35 tortured dead Zetas on the side of a road. Rueda-Medina will remain in custody pending sentencing. Rueda-Medina was arrested in Michoacn, Mexico on July 11, 2009, and was extradited to the United States on January 27, 2017. Inside the history of cannibalism in Mexican drug cartels, where teen enforcers are fed crack before feasting on the organs of their victims. [6][19] His capture resulted in new organizational leaders: Jos de Jess Mndez Vargas and Nazario Moreno Gonzlez. [45] La Familia Michoacana became a rival of its splinter group Knights Templar. April 14, 2010. This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The cartel is famous for espousing a semi-religious ideology and is often characterized as a cult.. La Familia started out as a group of vigilantes from the state of Michoacn that ended up to become allied to the Gulf Cartel. DALLAS - Arnoldo Rueda-Medina, aka "La Minsa," 47, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez today and pleaded guilty to federal offenses in connection with his leadership roles in the "La Familia Michoacn" Mexican drug cartel, announced DEA Dallas Division's Special Agent in Charge Clyde E. Shelley, Jr. and U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas. "This is the moment to intensify the pressure on this organization in order to diminish crime in the region effectively and permanently," he said. It doesn't kill innocent people, only those who deserve to die. DALLAS Arnoldo Rueda-Medina, aka "La Minsa," 47, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez today and pleaded guilty to federal offenses in connection with his leadership roles in the "La Familia Michoacn" Mexican drug cartel, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( LFM was responsible for trafficking methamphetamine into the United States through border checkpoints near Laredo, Texas and Tijuana, Mexico. Function: view, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/index.php Mexican animal rights group Animal Lawyers warns that organized criminals often mistreat the exotic pets that they keep, many of whom are unable to adapt to the new habitat they find themselves in. [7][14][15][16], While preparing to liberate Osiel Crdenas Guilln from prison, a squadron of about 150 soldiers in the Grupo Aeromvil de Fuerzas Especiales (GAFE), the special forces unit of the Mexican Army, arrested Rosales Mendoza in the capital city of Morelia, Michoacn on 24 October 2004. Line: 192 Below we take a look at some of the main gangs that have terrorised Mexico since the inception of the states war on the cartels in 2006. U.S. Department of the Treasury graphic . El Universal put the death toll at 11. This is the policy of The Business.". The group's hitmen say they had the "divine right" to kill and have been known to dismember enemies, such as members of rival gangs. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. He is believed to be one of four bosses in that state for the organization, which according to investigations by the Federal . The only ones who die are those who must die. The accused drug lord, who is currently on trial in New York, was once considered the most powerful drug trafficker in the world. The gunmen torched vehicles across Michoacan and used them as barricades, even blockading all entrances into its capital of Morelia to prevent federal police from sending reinforcements. This group is known to have military style weapons obtained from their cartel connections in the United States and Mexico. But some barbaric factions of the gangs are believed to have even turned cannibal and actually eaten parts of their rivals. The monkey killed in a confrontation between criminals and cops in Texcaltitlan, Mexico. Three of them remain under medical observation after being injured in the gunfight. Function: require_once, Message: Undefined variable: user_membership, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_modal.php For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. La Familia Michoacana, (English: The Michoacn Family) La Familia (English: The Family), or LFM is a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate based in the Mexican state of Michoacn.They are known to produce large amounts of methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories in Michoacan.Formerly allied to the Gulf Cartelas part of Los Zetasit split off in 2006. Carlos Rosales Mendoza's body was found with . [54], Three days later, on July 14, 2009, the cartel tortured and murdered twelve Mexican Federal Police agents and dumped their bodies along the side of a mountain highway along with a written message: "So that you come for another. On the same day as the shooting, a Bengal Tiger was spotted walking the streets of Tecuala in the western Mexican region of Nayarit. LFM was responsible for trafficking thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine into the United States through border checkpoints near Laredo, Texas and Tijuana, Mexico and delivered to stash locations in the Northern District of Texas and elsewhere. Reporting from Mexico City . The death of Nazario Moreno Gonzalez nicknamed "The Craziest One" is a major blow to a drug cartel that burst into national prominence four years ago by rolling severed heads into a nightclub and declaring that its mission was to protect Michoacan state from rival gangs and petty criminals. [22] Since then, La Familia has capitalized on its reputation, building its myth, power and reach to transition into a criminal gang itself. The eccentric leader of the notorious La Familia drug cartel was killed in a shootout during two days of fighting between federal police and gunmen that terrified civilians across a western Mexican state, the office of Mexican President Felipe Calderon said Friday. Mexico State, however, is the turf of the rival cartel La Familia Michoacana. The discovery of the remains came after police had to use a building-site digger to break up the floor at the property in the La Joya neighborhood. Seized during the arresting phase was over 62 kilograms (137lb) of cocaine, 330 kilograms (730lb) of methamphetamine, 440 kilograms (970lb) of marijuana, 144 weapons, 109 vehicles, two clandestine drug laboratories, and $3.4 million in U.S. The body of the founder of one of Mexico's most violent drug cartels, La Familia Michoacana, has been discovered on a motorway with signs of torture. The Department of Justices Office of International Affairs also assisted in the extradition of the defendant to the United States to face charges. The Mexican government's profile of Moreno describes him as one of the drug traffickers "with the most economic power and support from police organizations.". Function: view, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/controllers/Main.php Mexican authorities said Moreno's tenure as one of the cartel's leaders ended Thursday, when he was gunned down after two days of shootouts between authorities and suspected members of the organization he founded. For other inquiries, Contact Us. And the U.S. Department of the Treasury included his name on a list last year when announcing new sanctions against those who made financial deals with the cartel. [21] On 5 August 2014, he was arrested again by state authorities at a restaurant in Morelia, Michoacn,[22] but was released shortly after without charges. They immediately went to war with the Los Zetas and proudly claimed responsibility for a swath of mass killings, including the massacre of 15 Mexican cops in a single ambush. High ranking cartel figures operating in the North Texas area will not be tolerated, said Drug Enforcement (DEA) Special Agent in Charge, Clyde E. Shelley Jr. The DEA and the US Attorneys Office are working around the clock to combat the massive amount of drugs brought into the United States as a result of the direct actions of Arnoldo Rueda-Medina, aka La Minsa, and the continuing threat posed to our communities by the remnants of the LFM. Thanks to the unrelenting efforts of our United States law enforcement team and the critical assistance and sacrifice of our Mexican counterparts, a notorious drug cartel leader is where he should be --behind bars, said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. [7][10] As a teenager, he immigrated illegally to the United States and worked in several locations in California, the profile says. Garca was arrested by authorities in Tierra Caliente after she was caught transporting big quantities of drugs. He confirmed the authenticity of a letter, e-mailed to journalists and dropped on the streets of several towns, saying the cartel is willing to disband if the government can improve security for Michoacan. He was arrested at the time but managed to escape until he was seized again last week. ", "Slo jefes menores, los detenidos o muertos en das pasados en Michoacn: testigos protegidos", "Rosales estaba ligado a Osiel Crdenas: PGR", "Mexican Police Arrest La Familia Drug Cartel Bigwig", "Lder de Zetas y Familia sale de la crcel", "Detienen a fundador de 'La Familia Michoacana', "DESIGNATIONS PURSUANT TO THE FOREIGN NARCOTICS KINGPIN DESIGNATION ACT", "An overview of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act", "Mataron a Carlos Rosales, El Tsico, en Michoacn", "PGJ: Asesinato de fundador de 'La Fmilia', tras reunion con autodefensas", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carlos_Rosales_Mendoza&oldid=1007264006, This page was last edited on 17 February 2021, at 06:04. It specialises in the production and trafficking of methamphetamine. But Mexican authorities say the ideology advocated by the cartel's leaders includes banning members from consuming drugs and alcohol with the goal of keeping a tighter emotional grip on subordinates. The La Familia Michoacana cartel emerged from the Los Zetas subgroup around 2006 following frustrations with the group's governance. Los Zetas cocaine kingpin Heriberto Lazcano, who was killed in a shootout with Mexican Marines in 2012, was notorious for feeding victims to the lions and tigers he kept on his ranch. Line: 479 [54][56] Based on these charges, on December 14, 2010, Godoy Toscano was impeached from the lower house of Congress and therefore lost his parliamentary immunity; he fled and remains a fugitive. On April 20, 2009, about 400 Federal Police agents raided a christening party for a baby born to a cartel member. A message left with the heads declared: "La Familia doesn't kill for money, doesn't kill women, doesn't kill innocents. At least four other officers and two Mexican Marines were killed by LFM operatives responding to the arrest of Arnoldo Rueda-Medina. The name of the group suggests it is a successor of the Familia Michoacana drug cartel that was largely crushed in 2010 when the Knights Templar gang chased it out of Michoacan. One was made up of the Jurez Cartel, Tijuana Cartel, Los Zetas, and the Beltrn-Leyva Cartel. He was first captured in 1993 and jailed for 20 years only to escape in 2001. They are known to produce large amounts of methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories in Michoacan. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. President Caldern stated that the country's drug cartels had grown so powerful that they now posed a threat to the future of Mexican democracy. CEN The monkey's owner was reportedly part of the regional leader of La Familia Michoacana's. The Sinaloa cartel found infamy after the exploits of its long-time leader Joaquin El Chapo Guzman came to international prominence. When asked what La Familia really wanted, Gmez replied, "The only thing we want is peace and tranquility." The arrest of Ovidio, who allegedly took over as head of the Sinaloa cartel, triggered a wave of violence across Sinaloa state with authorities deploying the army into the streets. The drug proceeds that were collected were delivered to cartel members or associates in Mexico either by way of bulk cash smuggling in vehicles utilized by LFM couriers or through money remitters such as Western Union. [10] The cartel gives loans to farmers, businesses, schools and churches,[40] and it advertises its benevolence in local newspapers in order to gain social support. A reporter who spent time with him told El Blog del Narco, After sentencing him (the victim) to death, he orders him to bathe, and even to shave his whole body and let him de-stress for two or three hours, even better sometimes he gave them a bottle of whisky to relax, then he ordered a very quick death so there is no adrenaline in the meat to prevent it getting bitter or hard.. The grim find believed to be linked to the ruthless Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most violent cartels in the country, was unearthed last week after the arrest of nine alleged members of the cartel. However, according to DEA officials, it claims to oppose the sale of drugs to Mexicans. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement(ICE) Homeland Security (HSI) provided special assistance. The Government of Mexico also provided assistance in the investigation and in securing the extradition of Rueda-Medina to the United States. We will be waiting for you here. DALLAS - La Familia Michoacn (LFM) Mexican drug cartel leader, Arnoldo Rueda-Medina, aka La Minsa, 48, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade to serve a total of 520 months in federal prison and a $5 million fine for offenses related to his leadership role within LFM. But it grabbed national attention in 2006, after reportedly hurling five decapitated heads of rival gang members onto a dance floor. The other reputed La Familia leader is former school teacher Servando Gomez. 17, 2022 at 4:31 AM PDT. LFM operatives subsequently attacked several other locations and Federal Police Officers. [46], La Familia has been known to be unusually violent. He is described as the operational chief of the cartel in an October 2009 Justice Department indictment for conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine to the United States. The eccentric leader of the notorious La Familia drug cartel was killed in a shootout during two days of fighting between federal police and gunmen that terrified civilians across a western. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Dec. 11, 2010 12 AM PT. He was wearing a bulletproof vest, a khaki hooded jacket, and a nappy. Poire said Moreno emerged as the leader of La Familia in 2006, when the gang then known as "The Business" broke off from the Gulf cartel and declared its independence by rolling the severed heads into a disco in the mountain town of Uruapan. The U.S. announcement singled out the Hurtado brothers as co-leaders of La Nueva Familia Michoacana criminal organization. This practice came to prominence when a 16-year-old and 17-year-old were captured by cops and admitted what they had done, according to El Pais. Stunning footage has captured the moment Brazilian protesters thought they had won their push for a military coup only to be arrested minutes later. During the attacks, two soldiers and three federal policemen were killed. According to federal and state sources, La Familia Michoacana has been increasingly involved in Michoacn's politics, impelling their favorite candidates, financing their campaigns, and forcing other parties to renounce their candidacies. When Rosales Mendoza founded the first cells of La Familia Michoacana in the 1980s, the Milenio Cartel was competing with the organization for the control of the production and distribution of narcotics in the state of Michoacn. Line: 68 La Familia Cartel Targeted, Police Arrest More Than 300 Across U.S. "El inmenso poder de la "La Familia Michoacana", "Mexican gang leader offers drug war truce", "Mexican police arrest 44 in baptism raid on drugs cartel", "Un bautizo termina con 44 presuntos "narcos" detenidos en el oeste de Mxico", "Violence the result of fractured arrangement between Zetas and Gulf Cartel, authorities say", "Surgen cuatro grupos del narco en 2011; El Chapo es el capo ms poderoso", "Cocaine cartel uses religion to control its killers", "Families Fear Phone Call From Mexico's Cartels", "La Familia cobra impuestos en Michoacn", "Mexico drug traffickers corrupt politics", "Mexican police, Soldiers killed in multi-city attacks by drug gang", "10 Mexican police officers held in killings of 12 federal agents", "Mexico's drug war: Cartel kills 12 federal officers", "2 Mexican politicians sought; drug cartel link alleged", "US strikes at Mexican cartel's drug-and-gun trade", "Crackdown on La Familia cartel leads to more than 300 arrests across US", "Project Delirium Results in Nearly 2,000 Arrests During 20-Month Operation, Seizures of More Than 12 Tons of Drugs and $62 Million in U.S. Currency", "Authorities arrest dozens in 'surgical strike' against Mexican cartel", "La guerra cotidiana: Guerrero y los retos a la paz en Mxico", "Why the Jalisco Cartel Does Not Dominate Mexico's Criminal Landscape", Cartel: The Coming Invasion of Mexico's Drug Wars, El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency, Manhunt of Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn (20012014), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=La_Familia_Michoacana&oldid=1133844053, Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga, Jos Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga. Suspected members of the cartel set trucks and buses ablaze on highways to block approaching federal police during the clashes -- a reaction that Mexican authorities said was a sign that they were closing in on high-profile targets. Nazario Moreno Gonzalez dubbed himself the "savior of the people" and crafted the violent La Familia Michoacana cartel's philosophy, outlined in a "bible" provided to new recruits, a profile . [1] He was a close friend and associate of Osiel Crdenas Guilln, the former leader of the Gulf Cartel.[2]. Cops also seized a number of firearms and bulletproof vests. Cartel members were arrested across the United States, and face charges in Alabama, California, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, D.C.[62] This announcement came just a month after Mexican authorities announced the capture of cartel leader Jos de Jess Mndez Vargas.[63]. In response, law enforcement deployed personnel to various locations throughout the state of Michoacan. The local authorities haven't been able to dismantle this trafficking group because of its experience. On February 25, 2010, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Rueda-Medina under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation (Kingpin Act) for his involvement in drug trafficking. Before releasing her in August, he and his henchmen had torn off pieces of her fingers. DALLAS - "La Familia Michoacn" (LFM) Mexican drug cartel leader, Arnoldo Rueda-Medina, aka "La Minsa," 48, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade to serve a total of 520 months in federal prison and a $5 million fine for offenses related to his leadership role within LFM. Officials are now working to identify the victims. It was the Sinaloa group which pioneered the use of tunnels dug underneath the Mexico-US border to send their drugs into America. [65], File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_modal.php La Familia came to the foreground in the 1990s as the Gulf Cartel's paramilitary group, designed to seize control of the illegal drug trade in Michoacn state from rival drug cartels. Carlos Rosales Mendoza's body was . [10][47] In one incident in Uruapan in 2006, the cartel members tossed five severed heads onto the dance floor of the Sol y Sombra night club along with a message that read: "The Family doesn't kill for money. La Familia Michoacana and it successor, Los Caballeros Templarios (the Knights Templar), is a major drug cartel based in the Mexican state of Michoacn and "is responsible for the trafficking of hundreds of thousands of pounds of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, from Mexico into the United States," according to the indictment. La Familia began its operations in the state of Michoacan at the beginning of the decade, the country's national security spokesman told reporters Friday. In addition, authorities will investigate the likelihood that the spider monkey a protected species was illicitly trafficked by thedruggang. Function: _error_handler, Message: Invalid argument supplied for foreach(), File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_modal.php He would then devour the mans buttock flesh in tamales after it had been cooked in lemon and served on toast. November 17, 2022. And he was arrested for the first time on drug trafficking charges in McAllen, Texas, in 1994. [10][11] Nazario Moreno's partners were Jos de Jess Mndez Vargas, Servando Gmez Martnez and Enrique Plancarte Sols, each of whom has a bounty of $2 million for his capture,[12] and were contesting the control of the organization. OCDEFT and Narcotics Section Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert and Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal prosecuted the case. They are known to produce large amounts of methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories in Michoacan. [5] This alliance was intended to displace the Milenio Cartel from Michoacn state, and provoked a series of assassinations in the area until 2003. Days later, 10 municipal police officers were arrested in connection with the slayings of the 12 federal agents.[54]. His official wanted poster featuring a fuzzy photograph of a middle-aged man with a thin face and a mustachio accuses him of drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder. Meanwhile, the cartel has proclaimed in banners and even newspaper advertisements that it is trying to protect Michoacan from other cartels and common criminals. La Resistencia gang was originally created by Sinaloa Cartel leader Ignacio Coronel Villarreal in 2010 soon after the rival gang Los Zetas began encroaching in Michoacn.Originally, La Resistencia was composed of gunmen from the Milenio Cartel which was loyal to the Sinaloa Cartel. Here's the latest from Assistant Republican Leader Beeler: 12 Jan 2023 21:53:09 The money is never tracked because no bank accounts are used. With the alliance, Rosales Mendoza became a Gulf Cartel operator and Crdenas Guilln dispatched two lieutenants of Los Zetas, Efran Teodoro Torres (Z-14) and Gustavo Gonzlez Castro (The Erotic One), to help him to train his men and protect the drug trafficking corridors in Guerrero and in the port city of Lzaro Crdenas. [53] When that failed, cartel members attacked Federal Police installations in at least a half-dozen Michoacn cities in retribution. Mexican authorities believe La Familia operates "by means of an executive council" compromised of both drug traffickers and government officials, according to the DEA. This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Alfredo Castillo, the federal security commissioner for gang-ravaged Mexican state Michoacan, claimed the practice was not widespread but did occur. Crteles y mafias. Moment protesters were totally humiliated, Disturbing prediction as country explodes. Lock Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( [12][25] Authorities suspect Ignacio Andrade Rentera (El Cenizo), a former mob lieutenant who now runs the Knights Templar Cartel. Members of La Familia Michoacana in a screenshot of a video with which they announced their arrival in Milpa Alta, in Mexico City, on December 4. . Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. While it initially trained with Los Zetas,[23] in 2006 the group splintered off into an independent drug trafficking operation. Because oftentimes they use fake and sometimes original uniforms of several police agencies, most of their kidnap victims are stopped under false pretenses of routine inspections or report of stolen vehicles, and then taken hostage. The Federal Police (Polica Federal) detained Jose Manuel Cuevas Arias, "El Borrego," drug cartel leader of the south zone in the state Guanajuato for the cartel organization La Familia Michoacana. The Public Prosecutor's Office has said the find is strange, as the CJNG is mostly active in Jalisco, Michoacan, Guanajuato, and Zacatecas States. When they discovered three long guns, a pistol and ammunition in the truck, Alpizar was arrested. Police believed that the 40-year-old Moreno also known as "El Chayo" or "The Doctor" was killed in a clash Thursday between cartel gunmen and federal police, said Alejandro Poire, the government spokesman for security issues. [4] He soon gained the trust of Crdenas Guilln and became one of the leading lieutenants for the Gulf Cartel in western Mexico, where he commanded a training camp and taught over 50 gunmen military tactics in order to carry out a prisons break to free Crdenas Guilln, who had been captured and imprisoned in 2003. This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission. It was reported on social media that the tiger had escaped from the house of its owner who is involved in organized crime. A note found at the scene where the bodies were dumped stated Vengan por otro, los estamos esperando (Come for another, we are waiting for you). Published: Jul. "What we have seen in the last days is a criminal organization repudiated by the population, and which has been significantly weakened," Poire said. [13], In July 2009 and November 2010, La Familia Michoacana offered to retreat and even disband their cartel, "with the condition that both the Federal Government, and State and Federal Police commit to safeguarding the security of the state of Michoacn. Function: _error_handler, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/page/index.php The cases have since unraveled for lack of evidence in one of the biggest setbacks of Calderon's drug war. The Mexican justice department stated in a report that Gonzalez Moreno has made Eldredge's book Salvaje de Corazn (Wild at Heart) required reading for La Familia gang members and has paid rural teachers and National Development Education (CONAFE) to circulate Eldredge's writings throughout the Michoacn countryside. "[27] The cartel may have direct or indirect ties with devotees of the New Jerusalem religious movement, which is noted for its concern for justice issues. [38], On July 16, 2009, Servando Gmez Martnez (La Tuta), the cartel operations chief, contacted a local radio station and stated: "La Familia was created to look after the interests of our people and our family. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Dallas Police Department and the Garland Police Department; the U.S. La Familia has also bought some local politicians. The seizure of the animals together with the narcotics and guns happened in the municipality of Tlachapa, in the state of Guerrero, located in the . His strategy of direct confrontation and law enforcement is not popular with some segments of Mexican society, where battling violent drug gangs has brought out several human rights charges against the Mexican military. Mexican analysts believe that La Familia formed in the 1980s with the stated purpose of bringing order to Michoacn, emphasizing help and protection for the poor. The exact number of the victims and their identities remain unknown. After Alpizar's arrest, La Familia Michoacana declared war in the state of Mexico. [39] Its members use murder and torture to quash rivals, while building a social base in the Mexican state of Michoacn. In 2017, former La Familia leader Arnoldo Rueda-Medina, who was arrested in Mexico in 2009, was extradited to the United States and sentenced to 45 years in prison in 2018 after being convicted on drug trafficking charges. Carlos Alberto Rosales Mendoza (12 February 1963 - 27 December 2015) was a former Mexican drug lord who founded and led an organized crime syndicate called La Familia Michoacana. It has been known that La Familia has certain connections with the Flores Camargo cartel, a small drug trafficking group that operates in Atlanta. [25] The Mexican Federal Police declared that the cartel has been disbanded. They were also supported by the local Michoacn cartel La Familia Michoacana to fight against Los . The U.S. government added Moreno and six other reputed La Familia leaders to its "Kingpin Act" list in February, a move that prohibits American citizens and firms from having any business dealings with them and freezes any U.S. assets they may have. The Los Zetas is considered one of the most dangerous of the cartels and has dealt in drug trafficking since its inception in 1999. [61], In July 2011, the United States Department of Justice announced that a 20-month-long operation known as "Project Delirium" had resulted in more than 221 arrests of La Familia cartel members in the United States, along with significant seizures of cash, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Line: 107 All four bodies showed signs of having been tortured. The Kingpin Act blocks all property and interests in property, subject to U.S. jurisdiction, owned or controlled by significant foreign narcotics traffickers, as identified by the President. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Only those who deserve to die will die.". Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert and Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal are in charge of the prosecution. The alleged death of Nazario Moreno Gonzlez on December 9, 2010, led to a split among cartel leaders Jos de Jess Mndez Vargas, Enrique Plancarte Sols, and Servando Gmez Martnez. #yummytreats #icecream currency. Overshadowed by the criminal activity and the media skills of the Jalisco Nueva Generacin Cartel (CJNG) and its satellite groups, La Familia Michoacana returns these days to the front pages due . [17][18] However, the organization continued to exercise its power and influence throughout Michoacn and Guerrero states. RT @gusportela: Lots going on in Lansing. Cartel gunmen have been fleeing with their causalities, and police believe that Moreno was among the dead, Poire said. Flores Camargo moves large quantities of high grade marijuana and cocaine through the I-75 corridor for distribution in Detroit, supplying the city and its outskirts and suburbs. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Dallas Police Department, Garland Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety. The CJNG, led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, El Mencho, denounced in a video broadcast on social networks that those who executed the 20 victims were hosts of the leader of the Familia Michoacana, Medardo Hernndez Vera alias el Cien or Lalo Mantecas; They pointed to the coordination with Daniel Correa, head of the cell that bears his last name. Stunnedpolicecame across the bizarre and gruesome scene following a firefight between authorities and cartel members in the town of Texcaltitlan, central Mexico, just over 60 miles southwest of the capital, Mexico City. The ritual ranged from dismembering people they intended to kill to sometimes serving up the heart, he said, according to the MailOnline. Mexico Arrests Important Familia Michoacana Boss. Rueda-Medina was also ordered to pay a $5 million fine. Like La Familia Michoacana, this group is said to have forced new members to eat the hearts of murder victims to prove their loyalty. "They believe they are doing God's work, and pass out Bibles and money to the poor," the profile says. Officials also seized bulletproof vests, military uniforms and communication equipment. Authorities say the dog discovered the fugitive hiding in . To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. There is speculation the CJNG moved in after confrontations with authorities in Mexico State left La Familia Michoacana weakened or both cartels agreed to a non-aggression pact. He was quoted as saying: "There is a new policy: We are going to expose those who sell drugs, to those who steal, to those who kidnap, anybody who is out of line. The second leader, Nazario Moreno Gonzlez, known as El Ms Loco (English: The Craziest One),[9] preached his organization's divine right to eliminate enemies. "Diverse pieces of information obtained during the raid all indicate that Nazario Moreno Gonzalez was killed yesterday," Poire said in a televised news conference. : El Ms Loco or The Craziest One) published his own 'bible,'[27][34] and a copy seized by Mexican federal agents reveals an ideology that mixes evangelical-style self-help with insurgent peasant slogans. It was the largest U.S. raid ever against Mexican drug cartels operating in the U.S.[58][59] In 19 different states, 303 individuals were taken into custody in a coordinated effort by local, state, and federal law enforcement over a two-day period. In 2009, the Calderon government arrested more than 30 Michoacan state and local officials including 12 mayors accused of protecting La Familia in a highly touted sweep meant to show no politicians are immune from prosecution. La Familia has a strong rivalry with both Los Zetas and the Beltrn-Leyva Cartel, but strong ties with the Sinaloa Cartel of Joaquin Guzman. The U.S. [20], On 22 May 2014, Rosales Mendoza was released from prison in Jalisco after fulfilling his ten-year sentence for illegal possession of firearms, organized crime, and drug trafficking. At this point Valencias cartel split into two factions, one of which eventually emerged around 2009 as the powerhouse cartel in Jalisco state. "The indoctrination of this group consists of courses in self-improvement, values, ethical principles and morals in keeping with the purposes of the criminal organization. A total of 47 sacks filled with human remains were taken away for forensic examination, local media reported. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Function: _error_handler, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/page/index.php Among those arrested was the presumed leader of the cartel, Jaime Luis 'El Pozolero' - who is accussed of kidnapping a woman in Tenancingo last year. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Moreno is considered the ideological leader of La Familia, setting a code of conduct for its members that prohibits using hard drugs or dealing them within Mexican territory. View our online Press Pack. Mexican authorities put a $2 million bounty on Moreno's head in March 2009. It once was the fastest-growing cartel in the country's drug war and is a religious cult-like group that celebrates family values. In 2016 his brother, said to be the financial brains behind the criminal empire, was captured. It comes just weeks after a similar bloody shootout in the central Mexican region saw agents from the Prosecutors Office and state police came under fire by 20 trucks of armed men. Specifically, Rueda-Medina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to . The government claims that that La Familia has been severely weakened after four years of fighting off its rivals and security forces. Now, La Familia Michoacana uses drug proceeds to fuel their agenda that encompasses a Robin Hood-type mentality -- steal from the rich and give to the poor," the statement said. The announcement was made by Special Agent in Charge Clyde E. Shelley, Jr. of the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas. [5] Reports suggest that Rosales Mendoza's organization can be traced back to the 1980s[7] and that was possibly a vigilante group to counter corruption and local crime, but the organization eventually became involved in the production and distribution of narcotics throughout the Mexican state of Michoacn. Several leading La Familia traffickers have been arrested in recent months. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. In 2006, El Universal newspaper said it had interviewed two La Familia leaders, identifying one as "The Craziest One." Nazario Moreno Gonzalez dubbed himself the "savior of the people" and crafted the violent La Familia Michoacana cartel's philosophy, outlined in a "bible" provided to new recruits, a profile released Friday by the office of Mexico's president says. Function: _error_handler, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_harry_book.php By Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times. In February 2010, the major cartels aligned in two factions. Mexicos president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has spoken out in the wake of the shooting, insisting that he would continue with his security strategy of not facing violence with more violence.. La Familia Michoacana, (English: The Michoacn Family) La Familia (English: The Family), or LFM[3][4] is a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate based in the Mexican state of Michoacn. It may take time, but well take whatever time is necessary to bring justice to those who export their drug-related misery and death to our north Texas communities.. Officials say Moreno played a key role in La Familia's philosophy -- frequently displayed on banners hung in public places -- which claims to protect the state's people. History. Judge Kinkeade sentenced Rueda-Medina to 520 months in federal prison on the drug conviction and 240 months in federal prison on the money laundering conviction, to run concurrently. Line: 208 President Felipe Caldern's government refuses to strike a deal with the cartel and rejected their calls for dialogue.[41][42]. He was found dead in a parking lot on 28 December 2015. Today, it's not clear who is in charge of the renewed La Familia Michoacana, or so-called Nueva Familia Michoacana. After the death of Nazario Moreno Gonzlez, Jos de Jess Mndez Vargas (El Chango Mndez) took control of the cartel. 1.4K views, 10 likes, 9 loves, 8 comments, 10 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Ay Gey La Michoacana: Join us for our soft opening Located in Lansing,Mi. [22] In its initial incarnation, La Familia formed as a group of vigilantes, spurred to power to counter interloping kidnappers and drug dealers, who were their stated enemies. For some time it was allied with El Chapos Sinaloa, but since his capture his Sinaloa cartel has been usurped by New Generation as the most powerful in Mexico. [4][5] In 2000, Rosales Mendoza united with the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas to thwart the Milenio Cartel, causing a wave of violence in western Mexico that lasted until the year 2003. "They believe they are doing God's work, and pass out Bibles and money to the poor. They have taken full control of the now defunct La Familia Michoacana operations in . The most horrific was the brutal chopping to pieces of a six-year-old girl in front of her parents a crime he believed would make them remember him. Everyone should know: this is divine justice.". Both men's and women's clothing were found at the site. He carried a "bible" of his own sayings and insisted that his army of traffickers and hitmen avoid using the narcotics they produce and sell. Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program, Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community, DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements, Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist, Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems, Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources. He was later recaptured in 2014, then re-escaped the following year through a 24 kilometre underground tunnel. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. DEA agents have received tips saying the groups move up to 2 tons of high grade marijuana to a central hub in Atlanta, then up through I75 to Detroit where it is repackaged into small quantities and spread throughout the city. [26], La Familia cartel is sometimes described as quasi-religious since its leaders, Moreno Gonzlez and Mndez Vargas, refer to their assassinations and beheadings as "divine justice. At this time it only operated as a wing of the Gulf Cartel but officially formed as a stand-alone rival group in 2010. The Sinaloa group also formed in the late 80s and is believed to be the primary supplier of heroin, cocaine, meth, MDMA and fentanyl into the US. The approach showed a "strong religious background," the DEA said. However, its roots date back to the 1980s when it was formed as a group of vigilantes looking to bring order to the state of Michoacan. Leadership Currently, Hector Garcia, alias "El Player," is believed to control the Familia Michoacana operations in Guerrero and the state of Mexico, although it is unclear how much power the criminal group currently posesses. The Department of Justices Office of International Affairs also provided assistance in bringing the defendant to the United States to face charges. On July 13, 2009, a group of 12 officers were kidnapped, tortured, and murdered. [49] The cartel has moved from smuggling and selling drugs and turned itself into a much more ambitious criminal organization which acts as a parallel state in much of Michoacn. This led the former leaders of La Familia Michoacana, Plancarte and Gomez, to form the Knights Templar cartel,[21] while Jess Mndez kept the leadership of the formerly disbanded La Familia Michoacana. Warning: Graphic content. The La Familia Michoacana cartel emerged from the Los Zetas subgroup around 2006 following frustrations with the groups governance. The Government of Mexico assisted in the investigation and in securing the extradition of Rueda-Medina to the United States. After his arrest, members of LFM attempted to free him, and although unsuccessful, a shootout ensued through the streets of Morelia, Michoacan. My office will continue to devote our time, energy, focus and expertise to helping disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations with our law enforcement partners in the United States and abroad to stem the flow of deadly drugs into our country and stop the violence inflicted by people like Rueda-Medina. On February 25, 2010, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Rueda-Medina under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation (Kingpin Act) for his involvement in drug trafficking.