In recent years, the fight for control of Michoacán has escalated. The groups that paved the way are no longer around; those that replaced them lost power, and the current ones have finally established themselves.
The origins of organized crime in the state date back to the 1990s with the Valencia family, who enjoyed hegemony. Known as the Avocado Kings, they adopted the moniker of the Milenio Cartel, whose last major leader was Armando Valencia Cornelio, arrested in August 2003.
It is presumed that the Valencia family’s cattle ranching and agricultural activities were financed with the profits generated from cocaine exports to the United States, their avocado-growing profile 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 Tierra Caliente region, Aguililla, and Apatzingán—two of the 10 zones into which the state is divided based on its geographic and productive conditions.
The fall of Valencia Cornelio, the top leader, brought Óscar Orlando Nava Valencia, alias “El Lobo” (The Wolf), to the forefront. He 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).
La Familia Michoacana’s first public act, 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 war that has yet to end.
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 are registered in Michoacán.
Criminal Groups
1 Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)
2 Los Viagra
3 Los Blancos de Troya
4 Acahuato Cartel
5 Los Guerrero
6 Pueblo Unidos
7 Knights Templar
8 Tepalcatepec Cartel
9 Los Reyes Cartel
10 Los Pájaros Sierra
11 Los Tena
12 Zicuirán Cartel
13 Churumuco Cartel
14 Los Panchitos
15 Los Revuelta
16 Los Sierra
17 Grupo del Comandante X
18 Los Correa
19 La Nueva Familia Michoacana
20 Carteles Unidos
The CJNG, headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” holds the upper hand in terms of territorial control. Originally from Aguililla, he has been gradually gaining ground, establishing his bases of operations in strategic locations.
The Cárteles Unidos group emerged in late 2019 and early 2020 to confront the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), but over time, by the middle of last year to be exact, some of its members, such as Los Viagra and Los Blancos de Troya, ended up as allies, while the Tepalcatepec Cartel, Los Reyes, and the Knights Templar became its enemies.
According to reports, the CJNG controls the border region with Jalisco and Colima, as well as the eastern, Bajío, and part of the central region. Essentially, the Jalisco cartel has a presence in 80 percent of the territory. The main leaders are:
Armando Gómez Núñez, alias Delta 1, controls Coalcomán, despite being under house arrest.
William Edwin Rivera Padilla, alias El Barbas, operates in Zitácuaro. State authorities are offering a reward of 500,000 pesos for his capture.
Jesús Rivera Aguirre, alias “El Chuy,” is based in Zacapu and is in charge of the Lerma-Chapala corridor.
Heraclio Guerrero, alias “El Tío Lako,” controls Tanhuato and has his own armed wing called Los Guerrero.
Ramón Álvarez Ayala, alias “El R1,” is second-in-command of the CJNG; they have a presence in Uruapan.
Santiago Magallón Quintero, alias “El Maguey,” is the plaza boss in Buenavista.
Below them, other equally dangerous criminal leaders operate within the CJNG, such as Ángel Chávez Ponce, alias “El Camaleón,” in Salvador Escalante. He worked exclusively for Los Viagra with his cell called La Gente del Cerro. Later, he formed Pueblos Unidos, working for the Knights Templar, and currently takes orders from El Chuy.
Source: milenio
