LFM Founder and Chayo's Mentor, Released from Prison

Carlos Alberto Rosales Mendoza born  February 12^th 1963, is a former leader and founder of  La Familia Michoacana Cartel (LFM). He was a close friend and associate of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the former leader of The Gulf Cartel.

When Rosales Mendoza founded the first cells of La Familia Michoacana Cartel in the 1980s, the Milenio Cartel was competing with the organization for the control of the production and distribution of  drugs, mostly meth,  in the state of Michoacán.

In 2000, Rosales Mendoza allied with CDG and their enforcers, Los Zetas to impede the Milenio Cartel, causing a deluge of violence with acts never before seen Mexico. He was arrested by (GAFE) special forces squadron on 24 October 2004.

At the time of his arrest, he, along with ‘El Chayo’ was working on a plan to break Cárdenas out of prison, when he was arrested in late 2004 in Morelia.  Eventually, El Chayo then went on to break from the CDG/Zetas alliance.  

Zetas were recognized for implementing new acts of terror, while at the helm of the LFM conflict, one such act made headlines around the world.

Zetas masterminded the September 2006 tossing five severed heads on to the crowded dance floor of a Uruapan nightclub.  Uruapan is a Michoacán municipality. With the decapitated heads was left a ‘Narco-Cartulina” that read: “La Familia doesn't kill for money, kill women or kill innocents. Only those who deserve to die… will die. Let everyone know that this is divine justice.”  It was signed La Familia.

Shortly after midnight, twenty black clad gunmen burst into the Sol y Sombra nightclub, shooting guns  in the air, and ordering the terrified peopleto the floor.  They opened black plastic bags and dumped the 5 heads to the floor as the horrified patrons and employees looked on.

It was the first time that multiple decapitations were used in a public forum to terrorize and send a message.  It was a defining moment in narco warfare, from then on cartels focused on even greater tactics of terror to send messages.

Michoacán has never been able to attain peace again since conflicts began in 2000.  The Milenio conflict was a pivotal moment for LFM, transcending it from multiple cells to a powerful cartel in of itself, and ‘El Tísico’, and his friendship with Osiel Cardenas  was credited for the transformation .

He still owns his massive ranch El Capire, in La Unión at the beach on the Michoacán coast, adjacent to his home town of  El Naranjito, in, in the Grande Costa of Guerrero.  The property was long used as a staging hub, exploiting the waterway for the transport of drugs embarking at the hub.

The operation was guarded by AFI agents that Rosales had a knack of being able to corrupt,  his brother took over the operation subsequent to Rosales’ capture.

 Rosales was released on May 22, but the release was not made public until yesterday.  [end of text]
Sol y Sombra Nightclub