Legal Commentary

"La Familia" Cartel Makes Mexico An Offer

By Jeralyn

La Familia cartel in Mexico is tired of being blamed for the massive violence in Mexico. It says it's not to blame. So it's making Mexico an offer. It's calling a truce on all criminal activity for the month of January.

In the one-page message, distributed by e-mail and in some cities door by door, the gang claims it will halt all crime activity during January to demonstrate that the cartel "is not responsible for the criminal acts federal authorities are reporting to the media."

Three weeks ago, Mexico said La Familia had been totally dismemebered and turned from drugs to robberies to make money. For Christmas, La Familia sent out a message saying Federal Police and the Zetas were behind the violence.

“La Familia Michoacana disavows it self of all criminal acts that occurred in the state of Michoacán, they are acts done and fabricated by the Federal Police. They seem to be only dedicated to making false claims and then killing those they implicate in crimes.”

In Monterrey, Mexico, on December 31, a half-dressed female was found hanging from the bridge. Gabriela Muniz Elizabeth Tamez, "La Pelirroja" had been in jail, charged with (or serving a sentence for) kidnapping. Prison officials were taking her to the hospital for tests when the transport vehicle was assaulted by armed and masked men, who apparently, were not out to free her, but kill her. And apparently, the prison guards (and even the doctor) were complicit:

After the murder of the ‘Redhead’, the Attorney General Jorge Aldala ordered the arrest of the four guards who were with her when she was taken, also arrested was the director of the Topo Chico prison and Adrian Guerra, head of prison security as well as the Doctor who ordered her medical leave and hospital visit for testing.

Were the Zetas behind the kidnapping and hanging? It seems at the time of her arrest in 2009, she had a boyfriend named Victor, aka Sooty, who deserted from the Zetas and was later killed.

At that time also said that "The Redhead" was the mate of a man identified only as Victor, nicknamed "Sooty", who allegedly worked for the Zetas and then deserted.

More on the crime here, including the Zetas' influence in Monterrey.

Hours before the appearance of the body a leaked a new cable Wikileaks appeared where U.S. diplomats reported to their superiors in Washington that the cartel of Los Zetas had control of the police in Nuevo León, including the capital, of Monterrey, where they know the leader of that band, Heriberto Lazcano, once lived. According to the cable, there is frequent fighting between Los Zetas and the military in the metropolitan area of Monterrey which is being reported by the media.

Or, was the Redhead's kidnapping and hanging the work of the new cartel in town, the New Federation, which supposedly is an alliance between the Sinaloa, Gulf and La Familia cartels, formed for the purpose of destroying the Zetas? Does La Familia even have a presence in Monterrey (state of Nuevo Leon)?

In any event, if the violence continues during January, will La Familia's "It Ain't Me Babe" get any respect?

Full post as published by TalkLeft on January 03, 2011 (boomark / email).