Mexican Police Arrest Leader of Crime Gang

 MEXICO CITY — Six months after killing the leader of La Familia Michoacana, one of the country’s most ruthless criminal gangs, Mexican police officials said Tuesday that they had arrested his successor, hoping to deliver a blow to the group and bolster public support for the war on organized crime.

The successor, José de Jesús Méndez Vargas, known as “el Chango,” slang for the Monkey, was captured by the federal police without a fight in the city of Aguascalientes, about 265 miles northwest of here, the police said.

Mr. Méndez took control of the gang after the death in December of Nazario Moreno González, known as “the Craziest One,” the leader and a founder of the group. It is known both for spiritual dimensions that give it shades of a religious cult and for beheading its rivals.

Moments before the government released an official statement on the arrest, President Felipe Calderón exulted on Twitter, “Big blow from the federal police to organized crime. One of the most wanted criminals was captured. Congratulations.”

In a statement to reporters, Alejandro Poiré, the government’s spokesman on security matters, said that “with this capture what was left of the command structure of this criminal organization was destroyed.”

Any weakening of La Familia carries symbolic importance. It not only is one of the more notorious organizations, but also is based in Mr. Calderón’s home state of Michoacán.

Going after kingpins — 21 of the 37 top drug lords have been captured or killed since 2009 — has become central to the government’s strategy and a public selling point that it is winning the war on organized crime.

But some experts contend that violence has only grown worse, in part because of the power vacuum left by the departed chiefs.

In fact, in a demonstration of how quickly battered criminal organizations evolve, two other top members of La Familia have broken from the group to form Los Caballeros Templarios, or the Knights Templar, a reference to an ancient Christian military order.        

By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD

Related Post