The Knights Templar Cartel (Spanish: ''Los Caballeros Templarios'') was a Mexican criminal organization originally composed of the remnants of
La Familia Michoacana
La Familia Michoacana, (English: ''The Michoacán Family'') La Familia (English: ''The Family''), or LFM is a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate based in the Mexican state of Michoacán. They are known to produce large amounts o ...
drug cartel based in the
Mexican State
The states of Mexico are first-level administrative territorial entities of the country of Mexico, which is officially named Mexico, United Mexican States. There are 32 federal entities in Mexico (31 states and the capital, Mexico City, as a sepa ...
of
Michoacán
Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...
.
The Knights Templar Cartel indoctrinates its operatives to "fight and die" for the cartel. They have taken full control of the now defunct La Familia Michoacana operations in states including Michoacán,
Guerrero
Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...
, the
state of Mexico
The State of Mexico ( es, Estado de México; ), officially just Mexico ( es, México), is one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Commonly known as Edomex (from ) to distinguish it from the name of the whole country, it is ...
, and
Morelos
Morelos (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 36 municipalities and its capital city is Cuer ...
.
History
After the first alleged death of Francisco Montes and co-founder
Nazario Moreno Nazario may refer to
* Ronaldo Nazario (born 1976), Brazilian former footballer
* Nazario (given name)
* Nazario (surname)
* Nazário, a municipality in Brazil
* Nazario Collection, a cache of carved stones at Guayanilla, Puerto Rico
*San Nazario, V ...
, leaders of the La Familia Michoacana cartel, on 9 December 2010,
a split between the cartel leaders emerged. Some of the cartel co-founders, Montes brothers; Fred Montes CM and Frank Montes,
Servando Gómez Martínez
Servando Gómez Martínez (born February 6, 1966), commonly referred to by his alias La Tuta (The Teacher) for once being a teacher, is a Mexican drug lord and former leader of the Knights Templar Cartel, a criminal organization based in the sta ...
, and
Dionisio Loya Plancarte
Dionisio Loya Plancarte (born 21 October 1955) is a Mexican drug lord and high-ranking leader of the Knights Templar Cartel, a quasi-religious criminal organization based in the state of Michoacán. He is the uncle of Enrique Plancarte Solís ...
, formed into a Royalty of ''La Familia'' calling itself ''Caballeros Templarios'' (or Knights Templar).
A large part of La Familia Michoacana left with them to form the Knights Templar group, while
José de Jesús Méndez Vargas
José de Jesús Méndez Vargas (born 28 February 1974), commonly referred to by his alias El Chango ("The Ape"), is a Mexican drug lord and former leader of the now disbanded La Familia drug cartel, headquartered in the state of Michoacán.
M ...
kept the leadership of the now greatly diminished "Familia Michoacana", starting a fight for the control of Michoacán.
Along with the
Sinaloa Cartel
The Sinaloa Cartel ( es, link=no, Cártel de Sinaloa), also known as the CDS, the Guzmán-Loera Organization, the Pacific Cartel, the Federation and the Blood Alliance, is a large, international organized crime syndicate that specializes in il ...
and the
Gulf Cartel, the Knights Templar formed a short-lived joint enforcer gang called Cárteles Unidos (English: ''United Cartels'') or
La Resistencia, composed of well-trained gunmen dedicated to kill and expel
Los Zetas Cartel
Los Zetas (, Spanish for "The Zs") is a Mexican criminal syndicate, regarded as one of the most dangerous of Mexico's drug cartels. They are known for engaging in brutally violent "shock and awe" tactics such as beheadings, torture, and indiscr ...
operatives who were invading the former La Familia Michoacana territories in
Michoacán
Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...
and
Jalisco
Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...
.
The Templars' most recent feud is against the
Jalisco New Generation Cartel
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel ( es, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación) or CJNG, formerly known as ''Los Mata Zetas'', is a semi-militarized Mexican criminal group based in Jalisco which is headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Me ...
, which is trying to gain full control of Jalisco and Michoacán, and also against
Civilian vigilante and Militia groups that are fighting back the criminals in an attempt to clear Michoacan from the Knights Templar.
On 27 February 2015, Servando "La Tuta" Gómez Leader of the Knights Templar was arrested by the Mexican federal police. A number of his associates were also arrested and many properties were also seized by the Mexican government.
End of cartel
As of September 2017, it is believed the cartel has ceased to exist after their leader Pablo "El 500" Toscano Padilla and his lieutenant Ezequiel "El Cheques" Castaneda were reported to have been killed by remnants of
La Nueva Familia Michoacana Organization
La Nueva Familia Michoacana is a criminal organization formed in 2011 after the original La Familia Michoacana lost power in 2010 with the formation of the Knights Templar Cartel and Nazario Moreno's suspected death (he was not proven dead until ...
while on their way to a regional meeting with members of the
Jalisco New Generation Cartel
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel ( es, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación) or CJNG, formerly known as ''Los Mata Zetas'', is a semi-militarized Mexican criminal group based in Jalisco which is headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Me ...
to form an alliance with them. By May 2020, all 39 non-New Generation cartel operating in Guerrero were splinter cartels. In June 2020, it was reported that the Cartel del Abuelo and Los Viagras, as well as to a lesser extent the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, were the active cartels in Michoacán.
Narco-banners
The former
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
had a visit scheduled on 23 March 2012 to the Mexican state of
Guanajuato
Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...
. Prior to that date, on 17 March 2012, the Knights Templar Cartel allegedly put up 14 banners on the bridges of
León,
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende () is the principal city in the municipality of San Miguel de Allende, located in the far eastern part of Guanajuato, Mexico. A part of the Bajío region, the city lies from Mexico City, 86 km (53 mi) from Queré ...
,
Irapuato
Irapuato is a Mexican city (and municipality) located at the foot of the Arandas Hill (in Spanish: ''Cerro de Arandas''), in the central region of the state of Guanajuato. It lies between the Silao River and the Guanajuato River, a tributary of t ...
,
Salamanca
Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritag ...
,
Yuriria
Yuriria, Guanajuato, Mexico,(), is one of 46 municipalities in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.
Geography
Yuriria is located in the "Bajío", or lowlands, of Guanajuato. It is bordered to the east by Salvatierra and Santiago Maravatío, to the ...
,
Moroleón
Moroleón is a city located in the same name municipality of the state of Guanajuato, adjacent to the border with the state of Michoacán, in Mexico.
In 1604, Dona Juana María de Medina y Calderón was granted land in the jurisdiction of Yuriri ...
and
Uriangato
( en, Place where sunset occurs on top)
, mapsize = 250px
, map_caption = Location of Uriangato within Guanajuato
, pushpin_map = Mexico
, pushpin_mapsize = 250
, coordinates =
, subdi ...
, all municipalities of
Guanajuato
Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...
, pledging to not provoke any violent acts during the pope's visit. The banners read the following, "The Knights Templar Cartel will not partake in any warlike acts, we are not killers, welcome Pope (sic)".
There were other similar banners that were allegedly signed by their rivals, the
Jalisco New Generation Cartel
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel ( es, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación) or CJNG, formerly known as ''Los Mata Zetas'', is a semi-militarized Mexican criminal group based in Jalisco which is headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Me ...
.
Ethical code
The Knights Templar cartel was founded on a strict ethical code
developed by La Tuta. The code is contained in a small book that is handed out to all members of the cartel and even to the public. The book is decorated with knights on horseback with lances and crosses. The 22 page book is titled "The Code of the Knights Templar of Michoacan" and contains the rules and regulations of the gang.
The gang has based its rules on those of the European
Knights Templar
, colors = White mantle with a red cross
, colors_label = Attire
, march =
, mascot = Two knights riding a single horse
, equipment ...
. Members swear to help the poor and helpless, fight against materialism, respect women and children, not kill for money, and not use drugs. The Knights even go as far as drug testing all members.
While the cartel has moved more towards accepting criminal acts prohibited by the ethical code, breaking the code can still incur punishment by death.
See also
*
Mexican Drug War
*
José Manuel Mireles Valverde, leader of a group of paramilitary self-defense groups that work against the Knights Templar Cartel
References
{{Authority control
Organizations established in 2011
2011 establishments in Mexico
Organizations disestablished in 2017
2017 disestablishments in Mexico
Disbanded Mexican drug cartels
Mexican drug war
History of Michoacán