For years, the criminal group known as “Los Sierra” imposed extortion fees on loggers, resin tappers, merchants, and mezcal producers in the southern part of Morelia, Michoacán.
The organization used unlawful detention and homicide as pressure tactics to ensure payment, according to Israel Vega Rodríguez—Deputy Prosecutor for Intelligence and Criminal Investigation and acting head of the Michoacán Prosecutor’s Office—speaking at a press conference on June 30.
However, the gang continued to operate until citizen reports enabled authorities to identify its leaders and carry out their arrests. On June 25, the State Attorney General’s Office, in coordination with federal forces, captured Ernesto Rafael “N”—alias “Sierra 1”—and, hours later, his brother Alfredo “N”—alias “Sierra 2,” the second-in-command responsible for collecting the extortion fees.
Vega Rodríguez stated that these two arrests effectively dismantled the majority of the criminal structure. The group was also known as the Altozano Cartel and Los Pájaros Sierra.
“Los Sierra” concentrated their activities in southern Morelia, specifically in the communities of Jesús del Monte, San Miguel del Monte, and Madero, according to official reports. Additionally, previous reports by this outlet place the organization in localities such as El Ajedero, Balcones, El Capulín, and El Duende.
