Mexico City on High Alert After Familia Michoacana Cartel Threatening Video Spreads Online

Mexico City security officials are currently on alert after they saw a threatening video of the Familia Michoacana cartel, with 30 members showing their weapons and claiming control over the capital's southern boroughs.

Authorities noted that no criminal organizations is firmly established in the area of Milpa Alpa, which is a small, rural town in the southern area of the capital city.

However, officials also acknowledged that the area is a "valuable thoroughfare" for illegal activity.

Antonio Nieto, a journalist who wrote a book on the cartel in Mexico City, said he does not believe that the Familia Michoacana cartel is just passing through. The journalist added that the drug cartel has been active in Chalco, Ixtapaluca, Tlahuac, and Milpa Alta since 2006 and has been involved in about 350 incidents over the last three or four years.

In addition, the Mexican drug cartel has been active on social media for 20 years and no one can claim that they are not in Mexico City, according to the journalist.

Nieto said that what is changing was that the cartel is now more out in the open despite not having declared war on the authorities.

Familia Michoacana Cartel

In October, a video from the Familia Michoacana cartel had also spread on social media, with its leader claiming that the attack that killed 20 people including a mayor was aimed at him.

The leader of the cartel was identified as Jose Alfreda Hurtado, also known as "The Strawberry," as he is known to be someone with high-end tastes.

Hurtado claimed that he intended to attend the meeting with deceased Mayor Conrado Mendoza and his father, a former mayor, but gunmen opened fire before he got out of his bulletproof vehicle.

The Familia Michoacana cartel mentioned that he had collaborated with the late mayor in the past in fighting the Tequileros gang, which was the same group that claimed responsibility for the killings.

Hurtado mentioned that he has openly loved in San Miguel Totolpan for some time despite being wanted by police.

Familia Michoacana later on allied with the Sinaloa and Gulf cartels to fight the Zetas while also expanding into new territory along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Familia Michoacana Sanctions

In November, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions for the Mexican drug cartel, accusing it of manufacturing "rainbow" fentanyl pills reportedly aimed at children.

The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control impeded the Hurtado brothers' U.S. properties and forbade U.S. citizens from having dealings with them.

Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson said in a statement that the drug cartel now markets "rainbow fentanyl," which is done as part of criminal groups' efforts to "drive addiction" among children and young adults.

Mexican drug cartels usually smuggle blue fentanyl pills to the U.S. that are counterfeited to look like other drugs such as Adderall or Oxycodone.

Familia Michoacana also traffics meth, heroin, and cocaine, according to Treasury Department.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Integrantes fuertemente armados de La Familia Michoacana aseguran que limpiarán a Milpa Alta - from Milenio