The capture of the leader of the ‘La Familia’ drug cartel in Mexico in late June has been claimed as a victory by President Felipe Calderon – but it follows a sharp escalation of raids and battles between the security forces and different drug gangs over recent months (see page 57).
The arrest of Jose de Jesus Mendez signified that the command structure of ‘La Familia’ was now “destroyed”, said Mexico’s national security spokesman Alejandro Poire. Mendez had taken over leadership of the cartel in December 2010 when an army raid killed his predecessor, Nazario Moreno, during pitched battles in Michoacan State.
New gangs have emerged, including ‘Los Caballeros Templarios’ (the Knights Templar), who were alleged to have killed 23 people during the weekend before the capture of Mendez. Over the previous week, there had been an unprecedented wave of violence in the northern city of Monterrey, leaving a death toll of 35 in a single day, including the bodyguards of the state governor. The battles against and among Mexico’s drugs cartels have claimed an estimated 40,000 lives since 2006.
President Calderon agreed to a public meeting on 23 June with Javier Sicilia, the leader of an anti-violence movement demanding a change in the country’s crime-fighting strategy. After his son was among a group of young people kidnapped and killed by gang members in Cuernavaca in March, Sicilia launched his movement, which has continued to gather momentum around the country.
