Recently La Familia has been thrown into disarray by the arrest and deaths of top members, including cartel leader Nazario Moreno Gonzalez, nicknamed ''The Craziest One'', who was killed in a shootout with police on December 9.

''Following the death of Nazario, the Familia Michoacana, as we know it, has been completely dismembered,'' federal police official Luis Cardenas Palomino said as he announced the arrest of one of La Familia's leaders, Francisco Lopez Villanueva, known as ''El Bigotes,'' or ''The Mustache''.

''What are left are little groups that are isolated and completely disorganised,'' he said. ''They have been committing bank robberies and robbing businesses to get money … this makes them more vulnerable.''

However, violent deaths continue in Mexico, with the half-naked body of a woman found hanging by the neck on Friday from an overpass in Monterrey. She had escaped from prison officials while facing kidnapping charges

Monterrey, Mexico's third largest city, has been rocked by violent cartel turf battles in recent months.