When they discovered three long guns, a pistol and ammunition in the truck, Alpizar was arrested. The Los Zetas is considered one of the most dangerous of the cartels and has dealt in drug trafficking since its inception in 1999. He was wearing a bulletproof vest, a khaki hooded jacket, and a nappy. Its owner a young man in his 20s said to be inMexicos notorious La Familia Michoaacanacriminalgroup was found dead from several gunshot wounds with the monkey lying on his chest. Five police officers and three civilians -- including two minors -- were also killed in the clashes, Poire told reporters. El Universal put the death toll at 11. 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. As a teenager, he immigrated illegally to the United States and worked in several locations in California, the profile says. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Dallas Police Department, Garland Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Local prosecutors claimed two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, remained unrepentant after they were drugged with crack then forced to eat human flesh by senior cartel bosses. [43][44] Among the 44 detained was Rafael Cedeo Hernndez (El Cede), the gang's second in command and in charge of indoctrinating the new recruits in the cartel's religious values, morals and ethics. The La Familia Michoacana cartel emerged from the Los Zetas subgroup around 2006 following frustrations with the groups governance. [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. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Only one of the officials a former mayor remains in prison. April 14, 2010. Outside of the United States, the operation resulted in the arrest of more than 1,900 members. [13][19][20] Mndez Vargas was captured on June 21, 2011, by Mexican police in the state of Aguascalientes. 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. This shows how trafficking groups are becoming more cunning in hiding from federal authorities. 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). Cops also seized a number of firearms and bulletproof vests. This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission. 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. The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday issued new sanctions against Mexico's La Nueva Familia Michoacana cartel and its leaders, brothers Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga, alias 'El Pescado' and Jose . RT @gusportela: Lots going on in Lansing. We've received your submission. La Familia Michoacana also gives money to schools and local officials.". 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 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. After the death of Nazario Moreno Gonzlez, Jos de Jess Mndez Vargas (El Chango Mndez) took control of the cartel. Video of a man getting hit by a piece of metal not just once but twice has gone viral. 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. 9. The pet monkey of a drug gang member dressed up in a bulletproof vest and camouflaged jacket has been killed in a bloody shootout which also left 11 other cartel members dead. [26], Last edited on 17 February 2021, at 06:04, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, "FPRI: La Familia: Another Deadly Mexican Syndicate", "FORMAL PRISIN EN CONTRA DE CARLOS ALBERTO ROSALES MENDOZA (A) "CARLITOS" Y DE ROBERTO HUERTA ROS", "La Familia: Another Deadly Mexican Syndicate", "Comenz en la compra y venta de grandes cantidades de mariguana", "Aprehenden a lugarteniente de Osiel Crdenas", "En Aguascalientes, la Polica Federal captura a Jess Mndez Vargas, alias El Chango Mendez, lider de la organizacion delictiva "La Familia Michoacana", "Carlos Rosales planeaba la fuga de Osiel Crdenas", "La Familia Mexican drug cartel founder killed", "Latin American Herald Tribune - Mexico Arrests Important Familia Michoacana Boss", "Cmo queda 'La Familia Michoacana' despus de la captura de su lder? 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. The couple is acussed of kidnapping five people from the village of La Bocanda in December- all of whom remain missing. 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. The act also prohibits U.S. citizens and companies from doing any kind of business activity with Rueda-Medina, and it virtually froze all of his assets in the United States. [23] The act prohibited U.S. citizens and companies from doing any kind of business activity with him, and virtually froze all his assets in the U.S.[24] Carlos Rosales Mendoza was listed in the DEA's "most wanted" list. Three of them remain under medical observation after being injured in the gunfight. [1] He was a close friend and associate of Osiel Crdenas Guilln, the former leader of the Gulf Cartel. 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. Reporting from Mexico City . [5] He was arrested twice, on 24 October 2004,[6] and on 5 August 2014, and set free in late 2014. [13][19][20] Several leaders split off after his death to form the Knights Templar.[21]. [22] Since then, La Familia has capitalized on its reputation, building its myth, power and reach to transition into a criminal gang itself. The money laundering conspiracy count has a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of not more than $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. It specialises in the production and trafficking of methamphetamine. Moreno was one of them, Poire told reporters, describing him as the leader and founder of an organization that had "terrorized the population" of Michoacan since its founding, "not only trafficking and producing drugs, but also extorting, kidnapping, and murdering people.". Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( MND Staff. Intelligence reports indicate that the cartel is "heavily involved in the production of methamphetamine" for export to the United States, according to the DEA, in addition to the distribution of cocaine and marijuana. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. 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. 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. Line: 208 They also produced large amounts of methamphetamine along the highlands of the Sierra Madre. 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. Cops were led by the suspects to an industrial warehouse turned nightclub in Tenango del Valle, about an hour from Mexico City. [9] He also formed an alliance with Osiel Crdenas Guilln, then leader of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas, and merged with his organization. [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. In response, law enforcement deployed personnel to various locations throughout the state of Michoacan. 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.". La Familia has also bought some local politicians. Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who was born in Michoacan, responded by deploying tens of thousands of soldiers to the state to crush the cartel an increasingly bloody fight that has since expanded to other drug trafficking hotspots across the country. 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.. In February 2010, the major cartels aligned in two factions. The federal authorities have known that the group smuggles high grade marijuana and cocaine from Guanajuato, traveling up to the border and passing under secret tunnels. CNN's Ariel Crespo and Rafael Romo contributed to this report. 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. However, according to DEA officials, it claims to oppose the sale of drugs to Mexicans. Specifically, Rueda-Medina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to . 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. It once was the fastest-growing cartel in the country's drug war and is a religious cult-like group that celebrates family values. [28][29][30][31][32][33] La Familia's boss and spiritual leader Nazario Moreno Gonzlez, (a.k.a. High ranking Cartel figures operating in the North Texas area will not be tolerated, said Special Agent in Charge Shelley. 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. [1] He was a close friend and associate of Osiel Crdenas Guilln, the former leader of the Gulf Cartel.[2]. CEN The monkey's owner was reportedly part of the regional leader of La Familia Michoacana's. But he said that the government's offensive would continue, noting that more armed forces were on the way to the area. Function: _error_handler, Message: Invalid argument supplied for foreach(), File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_modal.php Both men's and women's clothing were found at the site. LFM was responsible for trafficking methamphetamine into the United States through border checkpoints near Laredo, Texas and Tijuana, Mexico. 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. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Function: require_once, Message: Undefined variable: user_membership, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_modal.php At this point Valencias cartel split into two factions, one of which eventually emerged around 2009 as the powerhouse cartel in Jalisco state. 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. 12 Mexican federal officers were tortured and killed in retaliation for La Minsa's capture DALLAS The leader of "La Familia Michoacn" (LFM) Mexican drug cartel was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade to serve more than 43 years in federal prison and fined $5 million for offenses related to his leadership role within LFM. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The approach showed a "strong religious background," the DEA said. [58][60], Since the start of "Project Coronado," the investigation has led to the arrest of more than 1,186 people and the seizure of approximately $33million. 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. Arnoldo Rueda-Medina, known as "La Minsa" in the La Familia Michoacana cartel, was sentenced by a federal judge in Dallas on Wednesday. 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. The Knights Templar Cartel indoctrinates its operatives to "fight and die" for the cartel. La Familia Michoacana (The Michoacano Family) is a Mexican drug cartel. After his arrest, members of LFM attempted to free him, and although unsuccessful, a shootout ensued through the streets of Morelia, Michoacan. 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. Horrified investigators discovered a secret mass grave under the floor of human body parts which are thought to be of at least 20 people. The eccentric leader of the notorious La Familia drug cartel was killed in a shootout during two days of fighting, the office of Mexican President Felipe Calderon said Friday. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. The Mexican government's dossier describes him as the brains behind a large number of killings. He faces a statutory sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison and up to a $4 million fine on the drug conspiracy count. President Felipe Caldern's government refuses to strike a deal with the cartel and rejected their calls for dialogue.[41][42]. [65], File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_modal.php Rueda-Medina was also ordered to pay a $5 million fine. The Public Prosecutor's Office has said the find is strange, as the CJNG is mostly active in Jalisco, Michoacan, Guanajuato, and Zacatecas States. [51] 20 municipal officials have been murdered in Michoacn, including two mayors. But it grabbed national attention in 2006, after reportedly hurling five decapitated heads of rival gang members onto a dance floor. 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. Days later, 10 municipal police officers were arrested in connection with the slayings of the 12 federal agents.[54]. Function: _error_handler, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_harry_book.php The principal mission of OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises. [25] The Mexican Federal Police declared that the cartel has been disbanded. The Knights Templar Cartel (Spanish: Los Caballeros Templarios) was a Mexican criminal organization originally composed of the remnants of La Familia Michoacana drug cartel based in the Mexican State of Michoacn.. Meanwhile, the cartel has proclaimed in banners and even newspaper advertisements that it is trying to protect Michoacan from other cartels and common criminals. LFM operatives subsequently attacked several other locations and Federal Police Officers. (April 2020) La Familia Michoacana Cartel Area of influences of the La Familia . 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