Cárteles Unidos (English: United Cartels), also known as La Resistencia (English: The Resistance) is a Mexican criminal enforcer squad composed of well-trained gunmen from the Sinaloa Cartel, Gulf Cartel, La Familia Michoacana, and Knights Templar Cartel originally formed to expel the Los Zetas Cartel from the states of Michoacán and Jalisco.[2][7][8][9][10] However, Cárteles Unidos' current main rival has now become the Jalisco New Generation Cartel; a paramilitary criminal organization based in the neighboring state of Jalisco.[11][12][13]
Founded by | Ignacio Coronel Villarreal |
---|---|
Years active | 2010−present[2] |
Territory | Michoacán, Edomex and Guerrero |
Ethnicity | Mexican |
Leader(s) | Juan José Farías Álvarez |
Activities | Drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, arms trafficking, robbery, extortion[3][4] |
Allies | La Familia Michoacana Los Viagras La Nueva Familia Michoacana Federal Government of Mexico National Guard Michoacán State Government Los Blancos de Troya Los Correa |
Rivals | Jalisco New Generation Cartel[5][6] |
As of 2023, it has been reported that the group is now disbanded. The Gulf Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel are no longer in the group. Infighting between La Familia Michoacana and La Nueva Familia Michoacana Organization and its armed wing Los Viagras is ongoing. La Familia Michoacana has a truce with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The Knights Templar Cartel are now allied with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and are fighting the La Nueva Familia Michoacana Organization and its armed wing Los Viagras.
History
editLa Resistencia gang was originally created by Sinaloa Cartel leader Ignacio Coronel Villarreal in 2010 soon after the rival gang Los Zetas began encroaching in Michoacán. Originally, La Resistencia was composed of gunmen from the Milenio Cartel which was loyal to the Sinaloa Cartel.[14] They were also supported by the local Michoacán cartel La Familia Michoacana to fight against Los Zetas and the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel.[9] Then, the Milenio Cartel was incorporated into the Sinaloa Cartel, while La Familia and Beltran-Leyva cartels were destroyed by federal security forces. In 2011, La Resistencia continued its violent campaign against Los Zetas by joining forces between the Sinaloa, Gulf, La Familia and Knights Templar Cartels (itself a splinter from La Familia).[8][9][15]
Alliances change
editWith the capture of Óscar Nava Valencia, leader of the Milenio cartel and the death of Ignacio Coronel Villarreal of the Sinaloa cartel, the Milenio cartel broke into many factions, the most notable being a renewed La Resistencia, headed by Ramiro Pozos El Molca. The neighboring Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) headed by Nemesio Oseguera El Mencho took notice of the collapse of the Milenio cartel and began its own war for control of the region.[14][16]
On March 1, 2011, Mexican federal police arrested a man they claimed to be the leader of "La Resistencia" Cartel, Víctor Manuel Torres García, alias "El Papirrín".[17] On August 1, 2011, La Resistencia commander, Neri Salgado Harrison, was arrested in Michoacán by the Mexican Federal Police.[7][15] Salgado was also the head of the Apatzingan plaza, and directed the production of methamphetamine in clandestine drug labs.[10]
On September 11, 2012, Federal Police forces arrested Ramiro Pozos González a.k.a. "El Molca". Mexican federal authorities identified him as the supreme leader of La Resistencia. He is blamed for the massacre of 26 people in Guadalajara in November 2011.[18][19] Due to CJNG's advances in the Tierra Caliente (Mexico) region, La Resistencia made an alliance in 2015 with Los Viagras and remnants of the Familia Michoacana, Knights Templar, and local self-defence groups to expel the CJNG out of the region, resulting in violent conflict since 2017 in the region.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Comunicado: La Resistencia al CJNG" (in Spanish). YouTube. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
- ^ a b Vega, Aurora (7 August 2011). "Surgen cuatro grupos del narco en 2011; El Chapo es el capo más poderoso". Excelsior (in Spanish). Retrieved 2011-08-07.
- ^ McCAUL, MICHAEL T. "A Line in the Sand: Confronting the Threat at the Southwest Border" (PDF). HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
- ^ "Decomiso récord de metanfetaminas en México: golpe 'histórico' a narcos". ABC Digital (in Spanish). 10 February 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-02-11. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
- ^ "El narco en México recurre a violencia sin precedentes: ONU". El Informador (in Spanish). February 29, 2012. Archived from the original on 2020-12-18. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
Se trató de una venganza de la alianza del cártel del Milenio y "Los Zetas", en contra de los llamados Matazetas o del cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación.
- ^ "Presentan al Erick Valencia, Sucesor de "Nacho" Coronel". Noticias Puerto Vallarta. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ^ a b "Mexican police arrest Caballeros Templarios cartel member". Fox News. 1 August 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
- ^ a b Garcia Soliz, Georgina (29 January 2011). "La Resistencia y cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación se disputan la plaza: Nájera". La Jornada (in Spanish). Retrieved 2011-08-18.
- ^ a b c "La Resistencia y los Zetas se disputan la plaza de Jalisco". La Jornada (in Spanish). 26 July 2010. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
- ^ a b Ramsey, Geoffrey (2 August 2011). "Caballeros Templarios Meth-Maker Arrested in Mexico". In Sight. Archived from the original on 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
- ^ Corcoran, Patrick. "How Arrest of Gang Leader Sparked Chaos in Guadalajara". Insight Crime. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
- ^ "El cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación rapta al hijo de El Chapo Guzmán", El Economista (in Spanish), 7 September 2011, retrieved 1 May 2012
- ^ "Mas sobre de la Guerra de CJNG vs Los Zetas : suman 321 muertos para los zetas y 56 para La Nueva Generación". Blog del Narco (in Spanish). 12 April 2012. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Diversifica 'Mencho' mercado del narco". Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ^ a b "Arrestado en México el líder del cártel Los Caballeros Templarios". Europa Press (in Spanish). 2 August 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
- ^ "La Crónica de Hoy - Cae "El Molca" líder y fundador de "La Resistencia"". Archived from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ^ http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/748158.html Archived 2012-10-22 at the Wayback Machine, Universal, March 2, 2011, Cae El Papirrín presunto líder de La Resistencia
- ^ "'El Molcas', uno de los responsables de ola de violencia en Jalisco". EL INFORMADOR. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ^ "Capturan a supuesto líder de La Resistencia". EL INFORMADOR. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2014.