Templarios

I got the "Hot Land" definition and the fact that it straddles the border but the attempts at mapping seem to be all over the place:
https://www.google.com/search?q=tierra+caliente+michoacan+map&client=firefox-a&hs=LhE&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=6MNNU5OSNoaQyATXy4GwAw&ved=0CC0QsAQ&biw=1366&bih=608

Go to plain old googlemaps.com and locate Nueva Italia, which is in the center of the valley. Tierra Caliente is the valley between the two mountain ranges.

Smartalex wrote:Playaboy...I see the government has agreed to Mireles' demand to release about 100 Autodefensas members from custody, most of whom are being held for possessing illegal automatic weapons. I doubt that they are going to release Hipolito Mora or the others who are being held on murder, kidnapping, extortion and rape charges. However, it looks like they are going to release the 34-man death squad that has been held in preventive detention for over a year.

I was shocked to see that, at least this soon.  I am glad all sides were able to step back.  It is never good to "draw a line in the sand".

Two mayors were detained in the continuing probe of collusion between public officials and organized crime in Michoacan. One of them is charged with murder.

Caen ediles de Tacámbaro y de Apatzingán

Spanish:
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/estados/2014/proceden-contra-edil-de-tacambaro-y-de-apatzingan-1003694.html

Google Translation:
http://translate.google.com.mx/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=es-419&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eluniversal.com.mx%2Festados%2F2014%2Fproceden-contra-edil-de-tacambaro-y-de-apatzingan-1003694.html&edit-text=

So much for this idea that all these public officials are just pawns and only become involved because of intimidation and threats.
Chávez Mendoza seems to have been in as much control as his tio "El Chayo"
Saludos to the Attorney General!!!

In an interview with Carmen Aristegui, this Mireles character says the government has agreed to release Autodefensas leader Hipolito Mora, who is currently in prison and facing 35 counts of murder, kidnapping, extortion and rape. Mora's attorney says there is no such agreement for his release. I'll certainly be following this aspect of the telenovela in Michoacan. I'll be curious to see how those who decry government corruption and impunity for criminals will react if he is indeed cut loose due to the pressures brought to bear by the Autodefensas. I'll also be curious to see the reaction of Mora's rivals within the Autodefensas...the people who turned him in to the government.

The government has issued an official denial that Hipolito Mora is getting out of jail anytime in the near future. The government says it will abide by the agreement signed last Monday by 20 Autodefensas leaders and release about 100 Autodefensas members who are being held solely for weapons violations. The rest of them -- the murders, thieves, kidnappers, extortionists and rapists -- will continue their stays in the federal prison system. The government says there are no separate agreements, a reference to statements made by Mireles in the interview with Carmen Aristegui.

Here's an excerpt from the interview:

Mireles said that he has a commitment from within the government to release Hipolito Mora...."It's an agreement with the commissioner, releasing Hipolito Mora" he said.

Apatzingan mayor Uriel Chavez Mendoza has been ordered to be held in prison pending the outcome of his trial on charges of corruption and collusion with the Templarios. The article contains some interesting details on how he shook down city council members.

Juez dicta formal prisión a Edil de Apatzingán; regidor lo acusa de querer desviar recursos federales al narco

Spanish:
http://www.sinembargo.mx/19-04-2014/967035

Google Translation:
http://translate.google.com.mx/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=es-419&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sinembargo.mx%2F19-04-2014%2F967035&edit-text=

This is kinda interesting. It's supposedly a video clip from a meeting between Templarios jefe Servando Gomez (La Tuta), former Michoacan secretary of state Jesus Reyna and Michoacan transportation official Jose Trinidad Martinez Pasalaguas. Reyna is currently in jail on charges of collusion with the Templarios, Martinez was arrested and later released due to "lack of evidence" and Gomez is the subject of an intensive manhunt.

Spanish:
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/estados/2014/video-tuta-reyna-michoacan-1005150.html

Google Translation:
http://translate.google.com.mx/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=es-419&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eluniversal.com.mx%2Festados%2F2014%2Fvideo-tuta-reyna-michoacan-1005150.html&edit-text=

Smartalex wrote:Apatzingan mayor Uriel Chavez Mendoza has been ordered to be held in prison pending the outcome of his trial on charges of corruption and collusion with the Templarios. The article contains some interesting details on how he shook down city council members.

Juez dicta formal prisión a Edil de Apatzingán; regidor lo acusa de querer desviar recursos federales al narco

Spanish:
http://www.sinembargo.mx/19-04-2014/967035

Google Translation:
http://translate.google.com.mx/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=es-419&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sinembargo.mx%2F19-04-2014%2F967035&edit-text=

how surprising,the mayor of templarios bastion-SNORK!

Thank you, Alex, for continuing to provide these links. I appreciate it.

You're welcome.

Lady Otter Latté wrote:Thank you, Alex, for continuing to provide these links. I appreciate it.

A big ditto here.....

Working together, the Mexican army, federal police and units of the Autodefensas have occupied the towns of Tumbiscatio, Arteaga and Huetamo. In Huetamo, 44 "seudoautodefensas" were arrested. They were all wearing "Free Huetamo" teeshirts and had fought an hours-long gun battle with the Templarios that left 18 injured. According to AUC leader Estanislao Beltran, the vigilante wannabes are members of a rival cartel from Guerrero state, intending to move in and take control of territory lost by the weakened Templarios.

Thanks for the updates Alex. I hope they clear things up in Michoacán soon.

Don't get your hopes up too far, CB. The dreaded Templarios will be destroyed, La Familia Michoacana will regain control over the territory, and the wealthy opium farmers, who were evicted from their lands by the Templarios, will return from exile in California. Business will return to normal.

Here's an update from Insight Crime on the changing alliances among the various actors at play in Michoacan.

Outside Drug Cartels, Rogue Vigilantes Set Sights on Michoacan

http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/laza

according to many blog sources and media way back when la familia was buggered and templarios replaced them la tuta was the founder and a member of la familia first. he actually drew a pay cheque as a teacher even though he never did the work. hence his nicname.
where can one actually see these alleged gummint documents?

According to the photo captions, they had La Tuta cornered in Arteaga a couple of days ago...but he escaped through these caves.

Rastrean a ‘La Tuta’ en sus cuevas de escape

http://fotos.eluniversal.com.mx/coleccion/muestra_fotogaleria.html?idgal=17957

¿Quién rastrearon La Tuta?
It appears to be Estanislao and his men.

slainte39 wrote:¿Quién rastrearon La Tuta?
It appears to be Estanislao and his men.

What do mean who's tracking him? Everybody is sniffing down this guy's trail. It's a joint operation between the army, marines, federal and state police, and the Autodefensas. They probably have a satelitte and telecom surveillance unit from the DEA working with them. The military takes the lead and the Autodefensas drag up the rear. My guess is that the pics with Papa Pitufo in the caves were taken long after the military had cleared the area. Think of it as a photo op.

Smartalex wrote:

slainte39 wrote:¿Quién rastrearon La Tuta?
It appears to be Estanislao and his men.

What do mean who's tracking him? Everybody is sniffing down this guy's trail. It's a joint operation between the army, marines, federal and state police, and the Autodefensas. They probably have a satelitte and telecom surveillance unit from the DEA working with them. The military takes the lead and the Autodefensas drag up the rear. My guess is that the pics with Papa Pitufo in the caves were taken long after the military had cleared the area. Think of it as a photo op.

I knew that, but I was wondering who the photo op guys were, along side the Smurf.
I think you are probably right...a little PR for the home folks and the idolterors on TOB.    
When you say everybody, it also probably includes the new brooms who want to take over, as this guy has become excess baggage.

Here's the video. I think the commentary says the caves are on a ranch belonging to La Tuta's parents...but it's hard for me to understand. According to the story on Borderland Beat, the military were afraid to search the caves and gave that task to the Autodefensas. While this may make good copy, it's just a load of spin from BB. La Tuta is rumored to have a personal bodyguard of 25 highly trained and highly dedicated Guatemalan sicarios. The last thing the government wants to see is a bloody shootout between them and Papa Pitufo's ragtag army of farmers and cowboys.

http://www.informador.com.mx/multimedia/video/25082/

Here's an update on the search for La Tuta.

La cacería de “La Tuta” llega a cuevas, su cantado escondite; cerco federal y civil aprieta en Arteaga y Tumbiscatío

Spanish:
http://www.sinembargo.mx/25-04-2014/972927

Google Translation:
http://translate.google.com.mx/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=es-419&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sinembargo.mx%2F25-04-2014%2F972927&edit-text=

Disarmament of the Autodefensas begins tomorrow.

Detallan fechas del desarme a guardias

Spanish:
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion-mexico/2014/impreso/detallan-fechas-del-desarme-a-guardias-215074.html

Google Tranlation:
http://translate.google.com.mx/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=es-419&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eluniversal.com.mx%2Fnacion-mexico%2F2014%2Fimpreso%2Fdetallan-fechas-del-desarme-a-guardias-215074.html&edit-text=

Nice of them to provide a precise schedule so that the cartels know exactly when and where to reappear!