A New Mexican Drug Cartel With "Family" Values

La Familia's region of control

In November 2006, La Familia formally announced its existence through a Mexican Newspaper. A fairly new cartel, La Familia is based in Michoachan and is known for celebrating family values. Many intelligence documents that have been leaked to the Mexican Press state that La Familia recruits members from rehab clinics. They also forbid members from drinking and doing drugs. To move up in rank you must attend prayer meetings. The cartel leader preaches his organisation's divine right to eliminate enemies and insists the group only traffic drugs outside their home territory. He also carries a "bible" of his own sayings and insists that his army of traffickers and hitmen avoid the narcotics they sell.
U.S. drug enforcement officials say the organization moves Colombian cocaine and Mexico marijuana into the U.S. They have also been involved in kidnapping, murder, armed robbery and counterfeiting.

Alleged Drug leader and members

Nazario Moreno Gonzalez, or El Mas Loco(the Maddest One) is one of the most wanted drug lords in Mexico and the leader of la familia. The government offered 30 million pesos bounty for his capture. But, in April of this year, Gonzales and 43 other alleged members of the drug cartel were arrested. La Familia maintains a very strong presence in a dozen American cities, including Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas.

Suspected Mexican Officials

In May, 10 mayors and 18 other mexican officials were detained for drug ties to the cartel. These arrests show how Mexican cartels have infiltrated the country's political structure. Most of the mayors were from towns in a mountainous region where there have been numerous beheadings and federal agents recently found 22 methamphetamine laboratories.