La Familia Michoacana

Familia Michoacana Cartel
  Area of influence of La Familia Michoacana
FoundedEarly 1980s
Founded byCarlos Rosales
Founding locationLa Piedad, Michoacán, Mexico
Years active1980s–present
TerritoryMexico:
Michoacán, Guerrero, Edomex, Mexico City, Morelos, Hidalgo, Chiapas, Tamaulipas, Jalisco, Colima, Guanajuato, Baja California, Tabasco
United States:
North Carolina, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana
EthnicityMexican
Membership (est.)15,000 - 35,000
Criminal activitiesDrug trafficking, people smuggling, money laundering, racketeering, extortion, kidnapping, murder, arms trafficking, assault, counterfeiting[1]
Allies Sinaloa Cartel
La Nueva Familia Michoacana
Los Viagras
Menace of Destruction
Mara Salvatrucha
Beltrán-Leyva Cartel
Los Tequileros
Guerrero's Unidos
Juarez Cartel
Jalisco New Generation Cartel
Tijuana Cartel
Los Zetas (Since 2004)
Rural Defense Force
RivalsKnights Templar Cartel
La Unión Tepito[2]

La Familia Michoacana (LFM;[3][4] English: The Michoacán Family), La Familia (English: The Family), is a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate based in the Mexican state of Michoacán. They are known to produce large amounts of methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories in Michoacan.[5] Formerly allied to the Gulf Cartel—as part of Los Zetas[6][7]—it split off in 2006.[6][8] The cartel was founded by Carlos Rosales Mendoza, a close associate of Osiel Cárdenas. The second leader, Nazario Moreno González, known as El Más Loco (English: The Craziest One),[9] preached his organization's divine right to eliminate enemies. 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.[10][11] Nazario Moreno's partners were José de Jesús Méndez Vargas, Servando Gómez Martínez and Enrique Plancarte Solís, each of whom has a bounty of $2 million for his capture,[12] and were contesting the control of the organization.[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 Michoacán."[14] However, President Felipe Calderón's government refused to strike a deal with the cartel and rejected their calls for dialogue. According to federal and state sources, La Familia Michoacana has been increasingly involved in Michoacán's politics, impelling their favorite candidates, financing their campaigns, and forcing other parties to renounce their candidacies.[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 González.[13][19][20] Several leaders split off after his death to form the Knights Templar.[21]

  1. ^ McCAUL, MICHAEL T. "A Line in the Sand: Confronting the Threat at the Southwest Border" (PDF). HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 11, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  2. ^ "La Familia Michoacana despliega narcomantas en Morelos y amenaza a extorsionadores de la Unión Tepito". Infobae (in Mexican Spanish). December 24, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  3. ^ "Familia Michoacana". March 27, 2017.
  4. ^ "Detienen en Ecatepec a 6 de LFM". La Policiaca. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  5. ^ La Familia Michoacana Fact Sheet Archived November 29, 2010, at the Wayback Machine DEA
  6. ^ a b "La Familia, un cartel que se volvió un Estado paralelo". Mercosurnoticias.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  7. ^ "En el imperio de La Familia Michoacana". Impre.com. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  8. ^ "Mexico offers $2m for drug lords". BBC News. March 24, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  9. ^ Fainaru, Steve; Booth, William (June 13, 2009). "A Mexican Cartel's Swift and Grisly Climb". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  10. ^ Tuckman, Jo (July 5, 2009). "Teetotal Mexican drugs cartel claims divine right to push narcotics". The Guardian. London. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  11. ^ Ruiz, Gustavo (December 12, 2010). "Mexicans march in support of 'Craziest' kingpin". Boston.com. Associated Press. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  12. ^ "Mexico offers $2 million for top drug lords". El Paso Times. March 23, 2009. Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
  13. ^ a b "Prevén arrecie lucha por lugar del 'Chayo' en Michoacán". Reforma (in Spanish). Terra. May 29, 2011. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
  14. ^ Ovemex. "La Familia Michoacana Retreats, Offers to Disband" (Blog). Borderland Beat. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  15. ^ "Matan a alcalde mexicano antes de elecciones en su estado". 3 November 2011. Fox News Latino. November 3, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  16. ^ "Los Caballeros Templarios responsables del asesinato del Alcalde Ricardo Guzmán". Noticias 40. November 5, 2011.[dead YouTube link]
  17. ^ "Surgieron cuatro grupos del narco en 2011; el chapo es el mas poderoso". Narcotrafico en Mexico (in Spanish). August 7, 2011. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
  18. ^ Vega, Aurora (November 2, 2011). "Templarios dominan Michoacán, donde habrá elecciones el día 13". Excelsior (in Spanish). Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference opqlzq was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13586 [dead link]
  21. ^ "One capo falls, others move in - Mexico Unmasked". Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2015.