Mexican evangelical drug boss killed in raid

By Miguel Garcia Miguel Garcia – 7 mins ago

APATZINGAN (Reuters) – Mexican security forces killed a top leader of the cult-like La Familia drug cartel, the government said on Friday, relieving some pressure on President Felipe Calderon in his flagging drug war.

Nazario Moreno, known as "The Craziest One," was killed in a shootout late on Thursday in Calderon's home state of Michoacan in western Mexico where La Familia (The Family) controls methamphetamine trafficking and marijuana fields and operates extortion rings.

"Diverse pieces of information obtained during the raid all indicate that Nazario Moreno Gonzalez was killed yesterday," national security spokesman Alejandro Poire said. Officials said he was "the spiritual leader" of the cartel.

Moreno ran La Familia with a pseudo-religious philosophy preaching Bible scripture mixed with self-help slogans to prevent gang members from abusing drugs, while promoting a mystique unique among Mexican gangs by claiming to protect the local population. The cartel, founded in 2000, was known for its brutality, breaking onto the public stage four years ago by tossing severed heads into a disco in the town of Uruapan.

Calderon launched his army-backed drug war in Michoacan soon after taking office in 2006 and faces growing criticism across Mexico that the crackdown is not working. Some 33,000 people have been killed in drug violence over the past four years, worrying Washington and some investors who are freezing investment just as Mexico pulls out of a recession.

Violence flared on Wednesday night in Michoacan when federal police and security forces streamed into the town of Apatzingan, responding to an anonymous call reporting the presence of armed men.

At least 11 people were killed as security forces fought cartel members in ensuing street battles, including three civilians and five police officers. Local media reported gang members were stealing dozens of cars and setting them on fire to create roadblocks and chaos across the state during the clashes. The authorities did not specify exactly where Moreno was killed.

On Friday, some 300 heavily armed marines moved into the remote areas around Apatzingan, the scene of some of the worst violence, but the town was quiet in the afternoon, with most shops closed and people afraid to go out in the streets.

Michoacan's governor called for calm as police towed charred vehicles away from roads. "The advance of federal forces has sent the criminals into retreat," Poire said.

PUBLIC RELATIONS VICTORY?

A fervent evangelical Christian, Moreno, 40, was born in Apatzingan and was one of the original founders of La Familia, responsible for dozens of murders, according to official data.

He was believed to own several properties in the region and have businesses in Reynosa, across from McAllen, Texas. The gang was involved in a network of black market businesses, including pirated merchandise and the illegal sale of iron ore for export to countries like China.

With a $2.4 million bounty on his head in Mexico and wanted in the United States, Moreno is the second drug kingpin to be killed in just over a month. Marines killed the Gulf cartel's Ezequiel "Tony Tormenta" Cardenas on November 5 in northeastern Mexico.

"What we have seen in the past three years is ... that the assassination of criminal leaders has only created more violence and has not disarticulated organized crime," independent security analyst Alberto Islas said.

Adalberto Santana, a drug trade expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said Moreno was likely to be quickly replaced.

"Business is business and Moreno's death won't stop drug smuggling or drug violence. Only policies that stop U.S. demand and help alleviate Mexico's poverty will do that," he said.

"This is a public relations victory for Calderon, little more."

Other La Familia leaders, including Servando "The Prof" Gomez, are still at large.

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