In recent years, the struggle for control of Michoacán has escalated. The groups that initially paved the way are gone; those who replaced them lost power, and the current groups have finally consolidated their control.
The origins of organized crime in the state date back to the 1990s with the Valencia family, who enjoyed a period of hegemony. Known as the “Avocado Kings,” they adopted the moniker of the Millennium Cartel, whose last major leader was Armando Valencia Cornelio, arrested in August 2003.
It is presumed that the Valencia family’s livestock and agricultural activities were financed with the profits generated from cocaine exports to the United States, their avocado business serving as a front to conceal their true occupation.
The Valencia family’s center of operations was the eastern region—comprising the municipalities of Uruapan, in the hot lowlands, Aguililla, and Apatzingán—two of the 10 zones into which the state is divided based on its geographical and productive characteristics.
The fall of Valencia Cornelio, the top leader, brought Óscar Orlando Nava Valencia, “El Lobo,” to the forefront, who was captured in 2009. He had to fight for control of the territory against one of the most bloodthirsty groups of that era: Los Zetas, who were gaining ground, while new groups were emerging, among them, La Familia Michoacana (LFM).
The first public act of La Familia Michoacana, or at least the most remembered, was in September 2006 when, at the “Sol y Sombra” nightclub in Uruapan, they threw five severed heads wrapped in plastic bags onto the dance floor. This would be the beginning of a never-ending war.
Michoacán: How drug cartels divide the municipalities
The federal strategy of 2006 to pacify the state eventually weakened groups like La Familia Michoacana, but it also gave rise to others. According to reports from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and security sources consulted by MILENIO, at least 20 armed groups and cells have been identified in Michoacán.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” is the dominant force in controlling the territory. Originally from Aguililla, he has gradually gained ground, establishing his operational bases in strategic locations.
The United Cartels group was formed in late 2019 and early 2020 to confront the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), but over time, specifically in the middle of last year, some of its members, such as Los Viagra and Los Blancos de Troya, ended up becoming their allies, while the Tepalcatepec Cartel, Los Reyes, and the Knights Templar became their enemies.
According to reports, the CJNG controls the border area with Jalisco and Colima, as well as the eastern, Bajío, and part of the central regions. In essence, the Jalisco cartel has a presence in 80 percent of the territory. The main leaders are:
Armando Gómez Núñez, Delta 1. He controls Coalcomán, despite being under house arrest.
William Edwin Rivera Padilla, El Barbas. He operates in Zitácuaro; state authorities are offering a 500,000 peso reward for him.
Jesús Rivera Aguirre, El Chuy. His base is in Zacapu, and he is in charge of the Lerma-Chapala corridor.
Heraclio Guerrero, El Tío Lako. He controls Tanhuato and has his own armed group called Los Guerrero.
Ramón Álvarez Ayala, El R1. He is the second-in-command of the CJNG; they have a presence in Uruapan.
Santiago Magallón Quintero, El Maguey, plaza boss in Buenavista.
Below them, other equally dangerous criminal leaders operate within the CJNG, such as Ángel Chávez Ponce, El Camaleón, in Salvador Escalante, who previously worked exclusively for Los Viagra with his cell called La Gente del Cerro. Later, he formed Pueblos Unidos, serving the Knights Templar, and currently takes orders from El Chuy.
There are others who have seen their luck run out, like Víctor Hugo ‘N’, also known as “El Novio,” who controlled Uruapan for El Mencho’s organization and was arrested in October of last year.
Through agreements, such as those formed with Nicolás Sierra Santana, alias “El Gordo,” of Los Viagra, Oseguera Cervantes established himself in Tierra Caliente, also using Los Blancos de Troya as his armed wing, under the leadership of César Sepúlveda, alias “El Bótox.”
Intelligence reports place El Gordo and El Bótox in towns in Buenavista, and due to their alliance with the CJNG, they have strengthened their presence in the coastal, central, and northern parts of the state. Los Viagra have been detected in at least 40 municipalities, with extortion as their main source of income, and in half of the areas they control, Los Blancos de Troya are also present.
In Apatzingán lies the Acahuato and/or La Virgen Cartel, which has tried to expand into Parácuaro, Gabriel Zamora, and Múgica, without breaking its alliance with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
On the other hand, their enemies, also known as Los Templarios, are resisting losing Apatzingán, and in Parácuaro, a neighboring municipality, Mario Alberto Romero Rodríguez, El Tucán, has become one of the most visible leaders.
In that same area of Tierra Caliente is Juan José Farías Álvarez, who went from being a member of a self-defense group to forming his own organization. The Tepalcatepec Cartel is dedicated to trafficking methamphetamine and cocaine using aircraft and boats through Coahuayana. He was also the main promoter of the arrival of Colombian paramilitaries who trained the Michoacán drug traffickers in the use of explosives.
The Los Reyes Cartel, a former ally of El Abuelo and the Knights Templar, underwent a similar transformation. It is now disputing the border area with Jalisco against El Mencho in the municipalities of Los Reyes, Peribán, Sahuayo, Marcos Castellanos, Villamar, Cojumatlán de Régules, Venustiano Carranza, Tocumbo, Jiquilpan, and part of Cotija, primarily.
Its leaders, Alfonso Fernández Magallón, El Poncho, and Luis Enrique Barragán Chávez, El Güicho, are under scrutiny by Mexican and US authorities for the deaths of soldiers caused by landmine explosions in mountainous areas.
In that same corridor, the Los Pájaros Sierra group, a former armed wing of the CJNG, also operates to a lesser extent. They are held responsible for the San José de Gracia massacre, where 11 people were murdered outside a wake in broad daylight. The leader and alleged perpetrator of the attack, Cornelio Armenta Sierra 3, committed suicide in prison, according to official reports.
Further down in the mountains is Fernando Cruz Mendoza, El Tena, whose nickname identifies the cell he leads in Lázaro Cárdenas, Arteaga, Tumbiscatío, Aquila, as well as Apatzingán and Múgica. He was once part of Carteles Unidos, but together with Miguel Ángel Godoy Gallegos, El Migueladas, of the Zicuirán Cartel, they decided to leave.
El Migueladas, for his part, controls the region of La Huacana, Gabriel Zamora, Parácuaro, and Múgica, and at one point disputed control of Apatzingán and Churumuco, the latter historically controlled by Gabino Barrera, who, through alliances, resists losing his territory, sometimes relying on a social base.
Finally, other smaller but equally violent groups include Los Panchitos, led by Francisco Manuel Flores Torres, El Panchito, who are fighting for control of Pátzcuaro and the lake region, and were an armed wing of the CJNG. Following them are Los Revuelta, founded by Salvador Revueltas in Aguililla, who serve the interests of larger groups, including the Tepalcatepec Cartel.
The capital is not exempt from drug trafficking control; both the Templarios and the Jalisco Cartel, and recently Los Sierra, led by the brothers Ernesto Rafael and Alfredo, Sierra 1 and Sierra 2, dedicated to drug production and extortion of mezcal producers, are vying for control.
Outside the capital, in Queréndaro and Zinapécuaro, is Alan Martínez Durán, El Primo and/or El Comandante X, who broke ties with El Mencho and is fighting El Barbas for control of the area. In that same eastern region, the Correa family operates, a clan of six brothers led by Daniel Correa Velázquez, known as “El Tigre,” whose rise to power occurred during the administration of Silvano Aureoles Conejo. Their stronghold is Ciudad Hidalgo, with a presence also in Maravatío, Zitácuaro, and Zinapécuaro.
In the border area with the State of Mexico and Guerrero, La Nueva Familia Michoacana operates, led by the brothers Johnny and José Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, also known as “El Pez” and “El Fresa,” respectively. They control at least twenty municipalities, stretching from Huetamo to Epitacio Huerta.
Michoacán Plan: Targeting Everyone
Following the implementation of the Michoacán Plan for Peace and Justice, federal authorities have set their sights on the “kingpins” of drug trafficking. The Secretariat of the Navy, the Secretariat of National Defense, and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection are all pursuing them.
The operations have come close to yielding results, such as the deployment in recent weeks against “El Camarón,” who managed to escape, but two hitmen were killed in the process, including a relative of “El Tío Lako.”
Source: Milenio
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