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garrycouch

Oct 2, 2008, 10:30 AM

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Michoacoan Crime Family

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The following was announced in the a.m. and Correo newspapers here.... true info?

.M: Presumed members of The Family are Convicted

Judge 5 of the Federal Penal Processes District in the state of Tamaulipas sentenced to formal prison three alleged members of the criminal organization called The Family, who were arrested in Lázaro Cardenas, Michoacán.

The Office of the Attorney General (PGR) informed that the prisoners are Alejandro Sánchez Basurto, alias "The Goat", Victor Abarca Radilla, "The War" and Gabriel Arzate Betancourt.

According to the penal cause 91/2008, these persons are accused of organized delinquency, against health, accumulation and use of firearms, as well as the possession of arms and cartridges exclusively for the use of the armed forces.

The persons charged were arrested outside of the place marked with number 410, in Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacán, where there were found long and short firearms, as well as cartridges of different calibers, tactic vests and several vehicles, one of them armored.

According to investigations at the moment of their capture, they admitted the house belonged to the "Michoacán Family" and that they formed part of that criminal organization.

Correo: "The Family" rules in 12 town halls in Michoacán

To set themselves apart from other bands their hit men have special uniforms

In the last two years the Michoacán Family reached such levels of power that it now operates in 77 municipalities in the state (of Michoacán) -more than 60% of the 133 city councils and in some of these they even have cloned patrol cars and uniforms that set their hit men apart from other bands.

Similar to those made by the drug traffic head Arturo Beltran Leyva, for his hit men that were discovered during an operative in Mexico City, now the members of this criminal organization in Michoacán have vests and uniforms with the initials FFMM (Familia Michoacana).

Official information from the Office of the Attorney General indicate that the police costumes and vehicles that they use in their operatives or raids, allows them to move with total freedom and impunity through the municipalities which they have penetrated and to achieve total control, or to have operation cells or simply to have places in which to hide or take refuge.

There exists a map on how and where the Michoacán Family has extended since its first public appearance in 2006. The geography where the shadow of the band has made itself present until it has reached absolute control in at least 12 municipalities of the state: Morelia, Apatzingán, Lázaro Cárdenas, Pátzcuaro, Uruapan, Zinapécuaro, Tiquicheo, Tanhuato, Ocampo, Jacona, San Juan Nuevo y Tancítaro.

The first five municipalities mentioned above are not only the most important due to the number of inhabitants, but are those in which Michoacán is sustained because of their entrepreneurial, commercial, social and cultural activity.

The presence of the Michoacán Family has no preference for any political party. For example, PRI rules in Morelia and Pátzcuaro, PRD in Apatzingán and Lázaro Cardenas, while in Uruapan, it’s Pan.

The criminal group which was initially formed in 2006 with the support of the members of the Cartel del Golfo, specifically the Zetas, have accepted responsibility for the decapitations and executions in Michoacán and other states, as part of what they call "social work".

In the places where they have absolute control they are devoted, they say, to fight crime with crime.

The Michoacán Family operates, according to information from the federal office, through an executive committee formed by visible heads -businessmen and government officials- and non visible heads -drug dealers- of regional and municipal cells.

Disguised almost always as policemen in their criminal operations, the members of this band are known for their drug messages, which they leave in places where they leave their victims, almost always tortured, mutilated or beheaded.

In each of these messages, they mention the words, " Sincerely, the Family" or "the Michoacán Family".

Information from the Attorney General’s Office state that this group pretends to be the defender of the citizens, established or itinerant tradesmen, businessmen and farmers but they make all of them pay a "protection charge" so they won’t be "troubled" in their properties or their families; otherwise they kidnap or murder those who refuse to cooperate.

As a matter of fact, one of their principal tactics is the psychological terror they cause their victims through the use of previous intimidation (blackmail) used to obtain large amounts of money in order not to damage the physical integrity of their opponents.

This cartel is linked to drug traffic as a principal activity, but they have diversified their actions to other illicit activities, such as money laundering.