Violence in Michoacan hit a new high after police arrested Arnoldo Rueda, an alleged top La Familia operative, on July 10.Gang members responded by attacking eight police stations across the state with machine guns and grenades, killing at least four officers. Days later, authorities found the bodies of 12 other police officers.
Police say Rueda is a key cartel operative in charge of managing synthetic drug production and shipping marihuana and cocaine to the United States.
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The state is home to La Familia Michoacana, a ruthless, pseudo Christian cult-like drug organization that made its appearance in dramatic fashion in 2006 when members rolled five decapitated heads onto a nightclub dance floor.
Violence has since been on the upswing, even after President Felipe Calderon deployed thousands of soldiers and federal police to this state -- his home state -- of 4.2 million residents.
To all my Michoacan friends in Periban and Los Reyes: May you always be safe, and may a resolution to this situation (which involves us, your northern neighbors fueling the demand for drugs) be forthcoming pronto.
"The truth is we don't believe in anything [...]" said Rosalba Hernandez, who was at a federal police checkpoint outside the town. "Things get worse every day."Several Michoacan communities have lived up to their unruly reputation: in late May federal police arrested 10 mayors, a judge and 16 other local officials for their alleged links with organized crime.
Those arrested included the mayor of Apatzingan, Genaro Guizar, whisked off to an out-of-state maximum security prison. Federal documents show that he testified to receiving regular payments of more than 15,000 dollars.
It's an impoverished area. We might start with that.
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