El Chayo

All About El Chayo

ANALYSIS

Seeking a Place in History – Nazario Moreno's Narco Messiah

EL CHAYO / 12 MAR 2014

In a 2012 interview with leading members of Mexico's Knights Templar -- including Nazario Moreno Gonzalez, alias "El Chayo" -- the organization's territorial grasp had seemingly reached its…

'El Chayo' Dead but Knights Templar War with Vigilantes Rages On

EL CHAYO / 11 MAR 2014

The killing by Mexican navy commandos of bizarre Michoacan gangster Nazario "The Craziest One" Moreno will prove a short lived victory for both the government and the "self-defense" militias it…

'La Tuta' Likely New Leader of Knights Templar After 'El Chayo' Death

EL CHAYO / 11 MAR 2014

The death of Knights Templar leader "El Chayo" in Mexico has had little outward effect on the group's leadership structure, though the take down of the group's spiritual guide could…

Mythical Leader of Mexico Cartel Dead - For Sure This Time

EL CHAYO / 10 MAR 2014

Marines have killed the founder of the Familia Michoacana and leader of the Knights Templar, a mythical figure in the Mexico underworld, who disappeared in 2010 and was…

Capture of 'El Chayo' Brother Another Blow to Knights Templar

EL CHAYO / 19 FEB 2014

Two senior figures in Mexico's Knights Templar -- one of them the brother of the now semi-mythical figure of Michoacan drug lord El Chayo -- have been captured, dealing another blow…

Rumors Fuel The Legend of the "Narco-Saint"

EL CHAYO / 6 FEB 2014

The reported arrest of a financial operator for "The Craziest One," the former leader of Mexico's Familia Michoacana, has fueled rumors that the cartel boss, hailed by followers as a…

Mexico's Drug Lords: Too Big to Fail?

COLOMBIA / 9 DEC 2011

On the anniversary of the death of one of Mexico's most-wanted drug lords, analyst Alejandro Hope looks at the government's strategy of taking down high-value targets, which many…

Familia Michoacana Leader Tells Michoacan 'God is With Us Until Victory'

EL CHAYO / 16 DEC 2010

In an audio recording attributed to a top leader of the Familia Michoacana, the group's self-serving ideology is heard in full force.

Peace Rallies in Michoacan Demand Police Withdrawal

EL CHAYO / 13 DEC 2010

Sunday peace rallies across Michoacan emphasized a deep distrust of government authority, with some demonstrators voicing support for the Familia Michoacana.

InSight: 5 Reasons Why the Familia Will Survive

EL CHAYO / 11 DEC 2010

After the death of its top leader, the Familia Michoacana is injured, but it is far from done. The government's attempt to clear President Felipe Calderon's home state of this…

Top Familia Commander Reportedly Killed in Michoacan

EL CHAYO / 10 DEC 2010

The leader of the Familia Michoacana, Nazario Moreno González, alias "El Chayo" or "El Más Loco," was killed Thursday in a police shootout, said a government spokesman.

City Paralyzed by Familia Blockade

EL CHAYO / 10 DEC 2010

In a record surge of violence, federal police clashed with Familia Michoacana members yesterday in fourteen different municipalities in Michoacán, including the capital city of Morelia.

Nazario Moreno Gonzalez, alias 'El Chayo'

EL CHAYO / JULY 24, 2019

Nazario Moreno Gonzalez, alias "El Chayo" or "The Craziest One" (El Mas Loco) was a founding member of the Familia Michoacana and later a leader of the Knights Templar…

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About InSight Crime

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THE ORGANIZATION

Unraveling the Web of Elites Connected to Organized Crime

27 JUL 2021

InSight Crime published Elites and Organized Crime in Nicaragua, a deep dive into the relationships between criminal actors and elites in that Central American nation.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Greater Focus on US-Mexico Border

20 JUL 2021

InSight Crime has decided to turn many of its investigative resources towards understanding and chronicling the criminal dynamics along the US-Mexico border.

THE ORGANIZATION

Key Arrests and Police Budget Increases Due to InSight Crime Investigations

8 JUL 2021

With Memo Fantasma’s arrest, InSight Crime has proven that our investigations can and will uncover major criminal threats in the Americas.

THE ORGANIZATION

Organized Crime’s Influence on Gender-Based Violence

30 JUN 2021

InSight Crime investigator Laura N. Ávila spoke on organized crime and gender-based violence at the launch of a research project by the United Nations Development Programme.