Borderland Beat: Los Caballeros Templarios' cartel leaders managed to accumulate a fortune of more than 430 million pesos ($35,000,000USD) in properties, authorities revealed yesterday.
The current leader of the criminal organization, Servando Gómez "La Tuta", added various properties for 195 million pesos. Read more.
The MexicoBlog of the CIP Americas Program monitors and analyzes international press on Mexico with a focus on the US-backed War on Drugs in Mexico and the struggle in Mexico to strengthen the rule of law, justice and protection of human rights. Relevant political developments in both countries are also covered.
Showing posts with label Los Caballeros Templarios. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Caballeros Templarios. Show all posts
Dec 3, 2014
Jun 12, 2013
In the hot land, Mexicans just say no to drug cartels
Los Angeles Times
By Tracy Wilkinson
June 11, 2013
COALCOMAN, Mexico — Rafael Garcia slaps the oversize wooden desk where he sits, one of the last mayors still in office in this region of Mexican farm country known as Tierra Caliente — hot land.
Mayors from a couple of the nearest towns fled with their drug-cartel pals, people here say, when locals took up arms against them.
But at Garcia's City Hall, the facade is festooned with hand-lettered signs supporting local gunmen who challenged the cartel, loosely referred to as community "self-defense" guards, comunitarios. Several cities in Tierra Caliente are now patrolled by such groups, whose members, often masked, man checkpoints and pull over passing vehicles for inspection. They have reached a kind of tense coexistence with the army, which moved in a couple of weeks ago in an attempt to bring order. Read more.
By Tracy Wilkinson
June 11, 2013
COALCOMAN, Mexico — Rafael Garcia slaps the oversize wooden desk where he sits, one of the last mayors still in office in this region of Mexican farm country known as Tierra Caliente — hot land.
Mayors from a couple of the nearest towns fled with their drug-cartel pals, people here say, when locals took up arms against them.
But at Garcia's City Hall, the facade is festooned with hand-lettered signs supporting local gunmen who challenged the cartel, loosely referred to as community "self-defense" guards, comunitarios. Several cities in Tierra Caliente are now patrolled by such groups, whose members, often masked, man checkpoints and pull over passing vehicles for inspection. They have reached a kind of tense coexistence with the army, which moved in a couple of weeks ago in an attempt to bring order. Read more.
Jul 24, 2012
Mexican security forces search for gunmen who killed 5
Fox News Latino: Army troops and police searched for a group of about 50 gunmen who attacked a town in western Mexico over the weekend, killing four police officers and a civilian, officials said.
The gunmen attacked Vista Hermosa, a town in Michoacan state, on Saturday night.
Michoacan has been one of the states most affected by drug-related violence in recent years. Read more.
The gunmen attacked Vista Hermosa, a town in Michoacan state, on Saturday night.
Michoacan has been one of the states most affected by drug-related violence in recent years. Read more.
Mar 23, 2012
Jalisco Cartel Promises Mexico Govt it will Take Down Rival Gang
InSight Crime: "The Jalisco Cartel - New Generation has released a video asking the government not to hinder their efforts to drive a rival drug gang out of south Mexico, in order to bring "peace" to local people.
The video, featured on Blog del Narco, features purported members of the Jalisco Cartel - New Generation (CJNG) promising to attack the Caballeros Templarios (Knights Templar) in the states of Guerrero and Michoacan." read more
The video, featured on Blog del Narco, features purported members of the Jalisco Cartel - New Generation (CJNG) promising to attack the Caballeros Templarios (Knights Templar) in the states of Guerrero and Michoacan." read more
Mar 21, 2012
Pope's Visit to Mexico: Pope's Mexico Trip Clouded by Legion Victim's Book
ABC News: "Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Mexico this week to a very public reminder of one of the Catholic Church's most egregious sex abuse scandals: A new book says internal Vatican documents show the Holy See knew decades ago of allegations that the Mexican founder of the disgraced Legion of Christ religious order was a drug addict and pedophile.
The documentation has been compiled in a book "La voluntad de no saber" ("The will to not know"), which is co-authored by Jose Barba, a former Legion priest who along with other priests in 1998 brought a church trial against the Legion's founder, the Rev. Marciel Maciel, for having sexually abused them while they were seminarians." read more
The documentation has been compiled in a book "La voluntad de no saber" ("The will to not know"), which is co-authored by Jose Barba, a former Legion priest who along with other priests in 1998 brought a church trial against the Legion's founder, the Rev. Marciel Maciel, for having sexually abused them while they were seminarians." read more
Mar 20, 2012
Drug War: Car Bombing, Police Ambush Show Sophisticated Tactics of Mexico's Drug Gangs
InSight Crime: "The recent killing of 12 policemen in Guerrero, and a car bomb in Tamaulipas, serve as illustrations of the threat of large-scale violence posed by Mexico’s drug trafficking organizations.
... it is not clear whether the two attacks in Guerrero are linked, although state officials have said they believe they are. A note left by the decapitated heads said "this will keep happening to those who continue supporting the 'FM,'" which presumably stands for the Familia Michoacana. The drug gang is highly active in the region of the state, known as "Tierra Caliente," and is currently battling for control with a splinter group known as the Caballeros Templarios." read more
... it is not clear whether the two attacks in Guerrero are linked, although state officials have said they believe they are. A note left by the decapitated heads said "this will keep happening to those who continue supporting the 'FM,'" which presumably stands for the Familia Michoacana. The drug gang is highly active in the region of the state, known as "Tierra Caliente," and is currently battling for control with a splinter group known as the Caballeros Templarios." read more
Nov 7, 2011
Drug War: Mexico Declares the End Has Come for Familia Gang
A look not only at the decline of La Familia, but also of the rise of Los Caballeros Templarios, the Knights Templar, to replace it in the state of Michoacán and form links with other cartels. One or more hydra heads replace the one cut off.
InSight Crime: "The arrest of a commander of the Familia Michoacana is another blow to the sinking criminal group, just days after the Mexican government declared the gang had all but disappeared from its traditional home turf. As El Universal reports, Hector Russel Rodriguez Baez, alias "El Toro," was detained following a shootout with Federal Police in Chalco, Mexico State, this weekend. A spokesman with the Public Security Ministry (SSP) said that Rodriguez Baez was the highest ranking member of the Familia in Chalco, a Mexico City suburb of some 300,000 people.
... According to a recent report from Excelsior, officials with the SSP and the Mexican military view the Familia as a non-entity in Michoacan, with the Caballeros Templarios (Knights Templar) taking their place as the foremost group in the region, and absorbing their production and trafficking operations." read more
InSight Crime: "The arrest of a commander of the Familia Michoacana is another blow to the sinking criminal group, just days after the Mexican government declared the gang had all but disappeared from its traditional home turf. As El Universal reports, Hector Russel Rodriguez Baez, alias "El Toro," was detained following a shootout with Federal Police in Chalco, Mexico State, this weekend. A spokesman with the Public Security Ministry (SSP) said that Rodriguez Baez was the highest ranking member of the Familia in Chalco, a Mexico City suburb of some 300,000 people.
... According to a recent report from Excelsior, officials with the SSP and the Mexican military view the Familia as a non-entity in Michoacan, with the Caballeros Templarios (Knights Templar) taking their place as the foremost group in the region, and absorbing their production and trafficking operations." read more
Aug 15, 2011
Whack-a-mole Drug War: Mexico Strikes Blow Against Caballeros Templarios in Michoacan
Mexico Strikes Blow Against Caballeros Templarios Gang in Michoacan: "Mexico's Federal Police have reported successes in their struggle against the emerging Caballeros Templarios drug gang, including the arrest of a key financial operative.
On Saturday, the Public Security Ministry (SSP) reported the arrest of Cristina Guadalupe Iniestra Medina, alias “La Cris.” She was captured in the city of Zitacuaro, in the group's home state of Michoacan.
According to the authorities, Iniestra was responsible for managing a portion of the group's funds, reporting directly to German Ivan Rivera Aguilar, who received orders from gang head Servando Gomez Martinez, alias 'La Tuta.'"
On Saturday, the Public Security Ministry (SSP) reported the arrest of Cristina Guadalupe Iniestra Medina, alias “La Cris.” She was captured in the city of Zitacuaro, in the group's home state of Michoacan.
According to the authorities, Iniestra was responsible for managing a portion of the group's funds, reporting directly to German Ivan Rivera Aguilar, who received orders from gang head Servando Gomez Martinez, alias 'La Tuta.'"
Aug 8, 2011
Whack-a-mole Drug War: Upstart Gangs Eat into Cartel Hegemony
From 'InSight Crime,' an analysis of the dynamics of the fragmentation of Mexican cartels
Mexico: Upstart Gangs Eat into Cartel Hegemony: "While the most obvious symptom of Mexico’s current struggle with organized crime is stratospheric rates of violence, the fracturing of powerful trafficking organizations into a constellation of smaller groups could have a more lasting impact on the country. ...
The most obvious reason for the growth of the smaller gangs is pressure from the federal government. A significant number of kingpins have been killed or arrested in the past two years in particular, and one capo’s demise often sparks fighting between subordinates and rivals for control of his network. (The government denies this, though not very convincingly.) But even beyond the takedowns of capos, a more aggressive federal policy creates space for newcomers, because one group losing a significant chunk of its operators or having its favored cocaine route shut down by the army creates opportunities for ambitious small-timers.
But this is not a one-off phenomenon; instability breeds further instability, because the new groups don’t enjoy the same level of dominance as their predecessors did. Even after winning control over a given territory, their reign is subject to continued challenges."
Mexico: Upstart Gangs Eat into Cartel Hegemony: "While the most obvious symptom of Mexico’s current struggle with organized crime is stratospheric rates of violence, the fracturing of powerful trafficking organizations into a constellation of smaller groups could have a more lasting impact on the country. ...
The most obvious reason for the growth of the smaller gangs is pressure from the federal government. A significant number of kingpins have been killed or arrested in the past two years in particular, and one capo’s demise often sparks fighting between subordinates and rivals for control of his network. (The government denies this, though not very convincingly.) But even beyond the takedowns of capos, a more aggressive federal policy creates space for newcomers, because one group losing a significant chunk of its operators or having its favored cocaine route shut down by the army creates opportunities for ambitious small-timers.
But this is not a one-off phenomenon; instability breeds further instability, because the new groups don’t enjoy the same level of dominance as their predecessors did. Even after winning control over a given territory, their reign is subject to continued challenges."
Aug 2, 2011
Whack-a-mole Drug War: Mexican police arrest Caballeros Templarios cartel member
The mole whack of the day
Nery Salgado Harrison was arrested on Sunday northwest of Apatzingan, a bastion of Los Caballeros Templarios, the secretariat said."
Jul 25, 2011
US Arrests Nearly 2,000 'Members' of Mexico Drug Gang
'InSight Crime' takes a critical look at U.S. goverment's claims that their recent arrest of some 2000 people related to La Familia Michoacana has delt a fatal blow to the cartel.
Jul 20, 2011
Whack-a-mole Drug War: Inside the Moral Code of the Caballeros Drug Gang
From 'InSight Crime'
Inside the Moral Code of the Caballeros Drug Gang: "A new report from the Associated Press provides excerpts from the Cabelleros’ code of conduct, which includes such imperatives as to “fight against materialism, injustice and tyranny.” Most of the requirements seem to have little connection to the gang’s operations in reality; fighting tyranny and materialism is hard to reconcile with extortion, drug trafficking, and murder, all three of which are frequently employed by the Caballeros, as they were by the Familia before them. ...
As InSight Crime reported last week, the Caballeros also seem to aggressively court the mainstream media, in an effort to influence the news agenda and get their point of view represented. ...
It remains unclear exactly what the Caballeros are trying to accomplish with all of the merchandising and the rosy picture of their group promoted in the code of conduct. Presumably, the vast majority of the public sees the Caballeros for what they are -- an organized crime syndicate -- and any fealty they pay to Gomez’s crew is due to fear, and not to the transparently self-serving arguments put forth in the pamphlet."
Inside the Moral Code of the Caballeros Drug Gang: "A new report from the Associated Press provides excerpts from the Cabelleros’ code of conduct, which includes such imperatives as to “fight against materialism, injustice and tyranny.” Most of the requirements seem to have little connection to the gang’s operations in reality; fighting tyranny and materialism is hard to reconcile with extortion, drug trafficking, and murder, all three of which are frequently employed by the Caballeros, as they were by the Familia before them. ...
As InSight Crime reported last week, the Caballeros also seem to aggressively court the mainstream media, in an effort to influence the news agenda and get their point of view represented. ...
It remains unclear exactly what the Caballeros are trying to accomplish with all of the merchandising and the rosy picture of their group promoted in the code of conduct. Presumably, the vast majority of the public sees the Caballeros for what they are -- an organized crime syndicate -- and any fealty they pay to Gomez’s crew is due to fear, and not to the transparently self-serving arguments put forth in the pamphlet."
Whack-a-mole Drug War: Mexico cartel issues booklets for proper conduct
The Associated Press: Mexico cartel issues booklets for proper conduct: "An organized crime group calling itself the Knights Templar is distributing booklets saying it is fighting a war against poverty, tyranny and injustice, publicly appealing to hearts and minds in a part of Mexico where the government claims it has largely taken down the major drug traffickers. ...
... a copy of the 22-page "The Code of the Knights Templar of Michoacan," illustrated with knights on horseback bearing lances and crosses, was obtained by The Associated Press this week. It says the group "will begin a challenging ideological battle to defend the values of a society based on ethics.""
Jul 14, 2011
Whack-a-mole Drug War: Mexico captures man who allegedly served as chief hitman of Knights Templar drug gang
Mexico captures man who allegedly served as chief hitman of Knights Templar drug gang - The Washington Post: "Mexico’s federal police have caught the top hitman for the Knights Templar drug gang in the western state of Michoacan, authorities said Wednesday.
Federal police allege that suspect Javier Beltran Arco oversaw murders for the meth-trafficking gang. Beltran Arco is known by the nickname “El Chivo,” or The Goat."
Federal police allege that suspect Javier Beltran Arco oversaw murders for the meth-trafficking gang. Beltran Arco is known by the nickname “El Chivo,” or The Goat."
Jul 12, 2011
Whack-a-mole Drug War: Mexico Forces Pour into Michoacan to Capture 'La Tuta'
Mexico Forces Pour into Michoacan to Capture 'La Tuta': "Some 1,800 Federal Police gathered in the west Mexico state of Michoacan in order to track down the leader of drug trafficking organization the Caballeros Templarios.
Black Hawk helicopters, armored vehicles and ambulances have been sent to this crime-ridden state in search of Servando Gomez Martines, alias 'La Tuta,' leader of the Caballeros Templarios, reports Milenio.
The security forces have taken control of major road networks in the state, following the use of roadblocks by the criminal organization in recent weeks.
The Caballeros Templarios (Knights Templar) is a splinter group of the Familia Michoacana drug gang, which emerged earlier this year in the state of Michoacan. On Thursday, confrontations between security forces and suspected members of the group left at least seven dead and three police injured."
Black Hawk helicopters, armored vehicles and ambulances have been sent to this crime-ridden state in search of Servando Gomez Martines, alias 'La Tuta,' leader of the Caballeros Templarios, reports Milenio.
The security forces have taken control of major road networks in the state, following the use of roadblocks by the criminal organization in recent weeks.
The Caballeros Templarios (Knights Templar) is a splinter group of the Familia Michoacana drug gang, which emerged earlier this year in the state of Michoacan. On Thursday, confrontations between security forces and suspected members of the group left at least seven dead and three police injured."
Jul 8, 2011
Whack-a-mole Drug War: Mexico Police Clash with Caballeros Templarios Drug Gang
More on yesterday's violence in Michoacán. From 'InSight Crime'
The violence began on Thursday at around 5 p.m., when members of the gang blocked roads to a number of towns in the state and set fire to buses and other vehicles.
Three police officers were wounded in the confrontations that followed.
A statement from the Secretariat of Public Security said that members of the Caballeros Templarios fired shots in the direction of the civilian population in an attempt to “generate panic and confusion.”"
Whack-a-mole Drug War: Michoacán: war zone
From Blog del Narco, a first report on the eruption of violence yesterday in Michoacan. This appears to have been provoked, as is typical, by the arrest of a La Familia leader.
Michoacán: zona de guerra | BlogdelNarco.com: "At approximately 12:00 hours, (Thursday) an unknown group attacked the home of Leonel Godoy, governor of Michoacan. The situation provoked an intense mobilization that managed to catch the criminals, but that fact alone would be the start of a Thursday filled with gunpowder and bloody mess.
During this afternoon a violent war began in the state of Michoacán. Since about 16:30 pm, members of La Familia Michoacana and The Knights Templar have been involved in raw clashes ....
The places where clashes and blockades occured are Morelia, Patzcuaro, Apatzingan, Uruapan, Zinapécuaro Mugica, Zitácuaro, Lazaro Cardenas, Maravatío, among others. ...
Also reported was the possible capture of a senior leader of the drug cartel La Familia in Michoacan."
Michoacán: zona de guerra | BlogdelNarco.com: "At approximately 12:00 hours, (Thursday) an unknown group attacked the home of Leonel Godoy, governor of Michoacan. The situation provoked an intense mobilization that managed to catch the criminals, but that fact alone would be the start of a Thursday filled with gunpowder and bloody mess.
During this afternoon a violent war began in the state of Michoacán. Since about 16:30 pm, members of La Familia Michoacana and The Knights Templar have been involved in raw clashes ....
Also reported was the possible capture of a senior leader of the drug cartel La Familia in Michoacan."
Jun 23, 2011
Whack-a-mole Drug War: The Crusaders of Meth: Mexico's Deadly Knights Templar
More on the "new" moles in the drug war: the Knights Templar, formerly members of La Familia Michoacana
The Crusaders of Meth: Mexico's Deadly Knights Templar - TIME: "At first, the amateur video shows a normal evening in the seething valley town of Apatzingán, in Mexico's western Michoacán state. But as residents and stall owners mix jovially on the sidewalk, the calm is broken by the sudden, sinister appearance of masked men gripping machine guns mounted on more than 50 pickup trucks, Hummers and Jeeps. The gangsters cruise openly down Apatzingán's main drag, a frightening show of force even by the brutal standards of Mexico's drug-war bloodbath. The propaganda video was sent to media outlets by the newest players in that conflict, the bizarrely named Caballeros Templarios, or the Knights Templar. ...
The Knights are a breakaway group from the "narco-evangelical" cartel known as La Familia ...
But the rise of the Knights Templar from the ashes of La Familia shows the fundamental problem of the drug war: whenever one set of bad guys is taken down, another steps up to take their place, largely because Mexico has few if any real investigative police institutions to halt the vicious cycle. The Knights are purportedly headed by an old lieutenant of Moreno, Servando Gómez, a former school teacher from Michoacán's rugged hills, where meth labs abound like hillbilly stills. "
The Crusaders of Meth: Mexico's Deadly Knights Templar - TIME: "At first, the amateur video shows a normal evening in the seething valley town of Apatzingán, in Mexico's western Michoacán state. But as residents and stall owners mix jovially on the sidewalk, the calm is broken by the sudden, sinister appearance of masked men gripping machine guns mounted on more than 50 pickup trucks, Hummers and Jeeps. The gangsters cruise openly down Apatzingán's main drag, a frightening show of force even by the brutal standards of Mexico's drug-war bloodbath. The propaganda video was sent to media outlets by the newest players in that conflict, the bizarrely named Caballeros Templarios, or the Knights Templar. ...
In December, federal police allegedly killed La Familia's criminal and spiritual leader, Nazario Moreno, alias El Mas Loco, or The Craziest One. On June 21, police arrested his No. 2, José de Jesús Méndez, alias El Chango, or The Monkey. As The Monkey was paraded before reporters on Wednesday, Mexican police said La Familia had been devastated — a vindication of Calderón's controversial military campaign against the cartels.
But the rise of the Knights Templar from the ashes of La Familia shows the fundamental problem of the drug war: whenever one set of bad guys is taken down, another steps up to take their place, largely because Mexico has few if any real investigative police institutions to halt the vicious cycle. The Knights are purportedly headed by an old lieutenant of Moreno, Servando Gómez, a former school teacher from Michoacán's rugged hills, where meth labs abound like hillbilly stills. "
Jun 21, 2011
Whack-a-mole Drug War: Knights Templar Announce Their Arrival on the Scene
More details about the new cartel in Michoacán, the Knights Templar, with a video of their convoy of fifty trucks, many with machine guns on the back.
When they first announced their founding in March, they hung up banners around their native Michoacan state in western Mexico, promising they would “safeguard order, stop robberies, kidnappings, extortion and shield the state from rival organizations.”"
Drug War Bloodshed: 23 Killed in West Mexico as Familia Rivals Battle
From "Insight-Organized Crime in the Americas"
The bodies were accompanied by notes from the Caballeros Templarios (Knights Templar), a Familia offshoot connected to Servando Gomez, alias 'La Tuta.' The notes accused the dead of supporting Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas, alias 'El Chango,' who heads the portion of the group still calling itself the Familia.
The first nine bodies were discovered early Saturday morning in the port city of Lazaro Cardenas..."
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