The ‘Fantasia’ effect and the emergence of Mexico’s new cartels
02/09/12 – According to information published by news outlet Reforma, the loss of leadership within certain criminal organizations (cartels) has led to the emergence of smaller organizations operating in the local level and at different stages. The most emblematic cases of splits within cartels are the rupture between the Gulf Cartel and their former allies, the Zetas, … Read more
“Los Caballeros Templarios” accept a truce during Pope’s upcoming visit to Mexico
02/06/12 – Through 11 so-called “narco-banners” (narcomantas) the criminal organization Los Caballeros Templarios (The Knights Templar) accepted a truce during the upcoming visit of the Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico in March. The banners, which were found in seven different municipalities in the central state of Guanajuato, conditionally accepted the truce suggested by the Archbishop of León, in Guanajuato, José Guadalupe Martín Rábago, … Read more
“La Familia” Cell Operating in US East Coast is Discovered
12/20/11 – U.S. agencies arrested 70 “La Familia Michoacana” cartel members in connection to possessing and distributing firearms and narcotics in the Washington, DC area. In a press conference held on Monday December 19 by the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Colombia (MPDC), police chief Cathy Lainer revealed that these individuals were operating … Read more
Multiple Organized Crime Members Caught in Edomex and Veracruz
09/15/11 – This week has resulted in the capture and arrest of quite a few members of organized crime groups in Mexico. 19 members of La Familia were caught in the city of Jilotepec in Edomex in addition to 13 Los Zetas members caught in Veracruz. Edomex’s state attorney general Alfredo Castillo Cervantes revealed in … Read more
The Arrest of “El Chango” Could Mean the End of La Familia
06/22/11 – The alleged leader of La Familia Michoacána cartel, José de Jesús Méndez Vargas, better known by the alias “El Chango (The Monkey) Méndez,” was captured this week in the state of Aguacalientes. The arrest of Méndez, who is one of the most wanted men in Mexico, has “destroyed what was left of the … Read more
Violence coincides with opening of Under-17 World Cup in Michoacán
06/18/11— Two unrelated instances of violence in the state of Michoacán—a trail of burned automobiles and the discovery of nine bodies—occurred during the opening of the Fifa Under-17 World Cup soccer tournament. The tournament is being held in six Mexican cities, including Morelia, which is the capital of Michoacán. Officials have not stated a connection between … Read more
Mexican Police Kill 11 Suspected Members of La Familia Michoacana Cartel
05/30/11— Mexican police say they killed 11 suspected members of the La Familia Michoacana cartel during a shootout in the western portion of the state of Jalisco. The 11 members were killed during a police raid that was planned after police received news that some of the cartels members were meeting at a ranch in Jilotlán de … Read more
Leader of La Resistencia Arrested
02/28/11— Victor Manuel Torres Garcia or Edgar Mauricio Barrera Corrales “El Papirrín” identified as a leader of La Resistencia with ties to the Beltran Leyva cartel was arrested in Michoacan by the Secretary of Public Security today. La Resistencia was formed after many of the head leaders of the Beltran Leyva cartel were arrested and detained, including … Read more
9 Members of La Familia Michoacana Are Caught
02/21/11 – The Attorney General’s office will be filing charges against 9 members who belong to the drug cartel “La Familia Michoacana.” The 9 were caught earlier last week in different parts of Tijuana by State Preventative Police officers. The detainees have been identified as Ramón Eduardo Valenzuela Castillo, Cristian Alejandro Salinas Aguinía, Leonel Orozco Riestra, … Read more
NEZA ASSASSINS ARRESTED
02/15/2011— The Mexican state prosecutor, Alfredo Castillo Cervantes, presented seven subjects who were involved with the homicides committed on February 13th, 2011. Some of the subjects were identified as members of La Familia Michoacana cartel and have also been tied to homicides that took place earlier in the year. The men arrested included Carlos Alberto Rodriguez “El … Read more
