Mexican police officials claim they'll soon eradicate the deadly drug cartel La Familia since it has been weakened as a result of the death of its top leader. La Familia is recognized as one of the most violent and deadly organized crime gangs in the world.
Just recently, La Familia witnessed a number of it's crime captains either killed in shootouts with federal police or by the Mexican military. In addition, the gang is fighting against the South Pacific Cartel whose members have begun operating within La Familia territory.
La Familia is primarily smuggling large shipments of cocaine into the United States along Mexico's Pacific coast. The gang is also producing and trafficking the synthetic drug methamphetamine, a stimulent that is longer lasting and more deadly than cocaine.
Besides drug trafficking and human smuggling, La Familia is known for extortion and kidnapping, and much like the Colombian FARC attempts to portray itself as a populist left-wing group that defends members of Michoacan society from the brutality of government forces or rival cartels.
La Familia shocked Americans and other nations in 2006, when its members allegedly tossed five decapitated heads into a Mexican nightclub with a sign that read: "Only those who deserve to die will die."
Ironically, Mexican President Felipe Calderon's place of birth is in Michoacan. He first deployed troops to that state in 2006 and then later deployed soldiers and federal police officer ("Federales") to other parts of Mexico.
Since 2006, close to 35,000 people have been killed in drug- and gang-related violence. In fact, according to a new Mexican database, the number of people killed in the conflict between December 2006, when President Felipe Calderon came to power, and the end of 2010 stands at 34,612.
