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98-571: La Familia Michoacana ( LFM ; English: The Michoacán Family ), La Familia (English: The Family ), is a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate based in the Mexican state of Michoacán . They are known to produce large amounts of methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories in Michoacan. Formerly allied to the Gulf Cartel —as part of Los Zetas —it split off in 2006. The cartel

196-495: A "New Church" that would be based on the theology he presented, he never tried to establish such an organization. Swedenborg published some of his theological works anonymously; his writings promoted one universal church based on love and charity, rather than multiple churches named after their founders and based on belief or doctrine. In 1768, a heresy trial began in Sweden against Swedenborg's writings and two men who promoted them;

294-480: A bounty of $ 2 million for his capture, and were contesting the control of the organization. In July 2009 and November 2010, La Familia Michoacana offered to retreat and even disband their cartel, "with the condition that both the Federal Government, and State and Federal Police commit to safeguarding the security of the state of Michoacán." However, President Felipe Calderón's government refused to strike

392-568: A christening party for a baby born to a cartel member. Among the 44 detained was Rafael Cedeño Hernández ( El Cede ), the gang's second in command and in charge of indoctrinating the new recruits in the cartel's religious values, morals and ethics. In February 2010, the major cartels aligned in two factions. One was made up of the Juárez Cartel , Tijuana Cartel , Los Zetas , and the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel . The other faction

490-521: A copy seized by Mexican federal agents reveals an ideology that mixes evangelical-style self-help with insurgent peasant slogans. Moreno González, who was killed on December 9, 2010, seems to have based most of his doctrine on a work by Christian writer John Eldredge , using his own understanding of the idea in Eldredge's message that every man must have "a battle to fight, a beauty to rescue and an adventure to live." The Mexican justice department stated in

588-503: A criminal gang itself. La Familia came to the foreground in the 1990s as the Gulf Cartel 's paramilitary group, designed to seize control of the illegal drug trade in Michoacán state from rival drug cartels. While it initially trained with Los Zetas , in 2006 the group splintered off into an independent drug trafficking operation. La Familia has a strong rivalry with both Los Zetas and the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel , but strong ties with

686-618: A deal with the cartel and rejected their calls for dialogue. According to federal and state sources, La Familia Michoacana has been increasingly involved in Michoacán 's politics, impelling their favorite candidates, financing their campaigns, and forcing other parties to renounce their candidacies. As of 2011, La Familia Michoacana still exists, mostly active in Estado de Mexico , despite the killing of its founder and leader Nazario Moreno González . Several leaders split off after his death to form

784-709: A four-year investigation into the operations of La Familia Michoacana in the United States dubbed Project Coronado . It was the largest U.S. raid ever against Mexican drug cartels operating in the U.S. In 19 different states, 303 individuals were taken into custody in a coordinated effort by local, state, and federal law enforcement over a two-day period. Seized during the arresting phase was over 62 kilograms (137 lb) of cocaine , 330 kilograms (730 lb) of methamphetamine , 440 kilograms (970 lb) of marijuana , 144 weapons, 109 vehicles, two clandestine drug laboratories , and $ 3.4 million in U.S. currency. Since

882-410: A half-dozen Michoacán cities in retribution. Three days later, on July 14, 2009, the cartel tortured and murdered twelve Mexican Federal Police agents and dumped their bodies along the side of a mountain highway along with a written message: " So that you come for another. We will be waiting for you here. " The federal agents were investigating crime in Michoacán state; President Calderón, responded to

980-430: A local radio station and stated: "La Familia was created to look after the interests of our people and our family. We are a necessary evil." When asked what La Familia really wanted, Gómez replied, "The only thing we want is peace and tranquility." President Felipe Calderón 's government refuses to strike a deal with the cartel and rejected their calls for dialogue. On April 20, 2009, about 400 Federal Police agents raided

1078-413: A means of regeneration through his teachings and fight hell directly; Jesus experienced temptation, conquered it, descended into hell, and defeated the forces of evil. The New Church differs from older Christian churches on the notion that Christ's death was redemption itself; "The belief that the passion of the cross was redemption itself is a fundamental error of the church; and that error, together with

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1176-852: A month after Mexican authorities announced the capture of cartel leader José de Jesús Méndez Vargas . It has been known that La Familia has certain connections with the Flores Camargo cartel, a small drug trafficking group that operates in Atlanta. Flores Camargo moves large quantities of high grade marijuana and cocaine through the I-75 corridor for distribution in Detroit, supplying the city and its outskirts and suburbs. The local authorities haven't been able to dismantle this trafficking group because of its experience. They have made several arrests but have never been able to locate Flores Camargo's heads. It

1274-407: A narrative of Christianity's historical decline due to the loss of the "inner sense" of Scripture into a purely exoteric understanding of faith. In this state, faith and good acts become external displays motivated by fear of hell, desires for material blessings, personal recognition, and otherworldly things, devoid of true spiritual essence. Swedenborg also wrote extensively about Salvation through

1372-561: A peak in the 1890s, by which a new church had been built in Hanson Street. In 1971, a new church at Warradale , in a style that could be converted to a house in the future. As of 2000 , the most recent membership figures for the four church organisations were: Membership in the New Church has always been small, and the organisations have been deeply involved in publishing. The New Church has two essential doctrines. The first

1470-501: A perceived descent of mankind into ignorance and sin. Swedenborg held that a spiritual second coming of Christ had begun, marking the start of the New Church and offering a renewed path to regeneration. The New Church presents a theology built upon these beliefs, and while presenting many ideas and themes expressed by various early and contemporary Christian thinkers and theologies, the tradition diverges from standard Christianity not only in its eschatology but primarily in its rejection of

1568-522: A person during their life. Although direct communication between spirits and humans does not generally occur, it was more widespread in ancient times. Angels and spirits retain their memories from earthly and heavenly life (their earthly mental faculties of memory replaced with corresponding spiritual ones) and, in a mental state where communication is open, a person may experience a spirit's memory as if it were their own. This mental state (which may be achieved under hypnosis) resembles past life regression and

1666-611: A person must learn and live by the truth; in the union between humanity and the Lord facilitated by man's acceptance of divine truth, faith becomes living and spiritual. All the precepts of how one should live are contained in the Ten Commandments . The first act of faith is repentance: self-examination, acknowledging and identifying one's sins, and turning away from them, along with all evil. The Bible concerns God and his kingdom. The New Church has three pillars: God's divinity,

1764-401: A place in heaven. Since, without the aid of divine truth, man remains in a state of Ignorance, the salvation of humanity has always required that a unifying connection between God and the minds of men is maintained through the "Word", or divine revelation of truths required for regeneration. The "Church", as a term, refers to any people, culture, or religion where "the Lord is acknowledged and

1862-486: A process of "regeneration" (rather than through faith or acts alone), wherein individuals accept divine truth from the Lord into their "inner self" (or higher faculties), controlling the "outer" (or earthly) self by placing their highest love in goodness and truth rather than in worldly desires and the evils and falsehoods which serve them. It follows that Christianity, in its present condition, as described by Swedenborg, fails to facilitate man's regeneration, contributing to

1960-679: A report that Gonzalez Moreno has made Eldredge's book Salvaje de Corazón ( Wild at Heart ) required reading for La Familia gang members and has paid rural teachers and National Development Education ( CONAFE ) to circulate Eldredge's writings throughout the Michoacán countryside. La Familia cartel emphasizes religion and family values during recruitment and has placed banners in areas of operations claiming that it does not tolerate substance abuse or exploitation of women and children. According to Mexico Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna, it recruits members from drug rehabilitation clinics by helping addicts recover and then forcing them into service for

2058-542: A state of absolute freedom from external controls, will be attracted by heavenly light or hellish delight. Ultimately, judgement is an unimpeded choice between heaven and hell; the good, by nature of their goodness, will choose heaven, and the evil, by nature of their evil, will choose hell. When all external restraints are removed in the spirit world, nothing remains to stop evil spirits except punishment. Since evil spirits act in accordance with their nature, they are drawn towards hell: Every evil brings with itself punishment,

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2156-465: Is a blanket (and somewhat inaccurate) term for the various organized crime groups that emerged in this period from the 15 former republics of the USSR and unlike their Italian counterparts does not mean members are necessarily of Russian ethnicity or uphold any ancient criminal traditions, although this is the case for some members. See also Caucasus Emirate Balkan organized crime gained prominence in

2254-653: Is a universal principle of faith that God is one in essence and in person, in whom is a Divine trinity, and that He is the Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ. It is a universal principle of faith that no mortal could have been saved unless the Lord had come into the world. It is a universal principle of faith that He came into the world to remove hell from man, and that He did remove it by means of contests with it and victories over it, and thereby He subdued it and reduced it to order and made it obedient to Himself. It

2352-499: Is a universal principle of faith that He came into the world to glorify His Human which He took on in the world, that is, to unite it with the Divine from which [are all things], and thereby He eternally holds hell in order and under obedience to Himself. As this could be accomplished only by means of temptations admitted into His Human, even to the last of them, which was the passion of the cross, He endured even that. From this doctrine,

2450-464: Is born not into total depravity , but rather, into a state of ignorance of anything beyond his "outer self"; his five senses and desire for worldly pleasures. In this state, man, by birth, places his principal love in worldly things such as wealth and ego over God and neighbor, because he has no knowledge of the spiritual truths that would lead him to love these. In this state, man’s 'inner self' (his higher faculties of rationality, will, conscience, etc.)

2548-425: Is born with free will, and his ability to choose between good and evil originates from his spiritual equilibrium between heaven and hell. Hell influences humans to do evil, and heaven influences them to do good. This freedom from inherent control from one side or the other frees humans to think rationally which can lead to spiritual reform by acknowledging evil in oneself, ceasing to do evil and avoiding it. This choice

2646-698: Is divine justice. " Like other cartels, La Familia used the port city of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán to import narcotics from Peru and Colombia . They also produced large amounts of methamphetamine along the highlands of the Sierra Madre . The cartel has moved from smuggling and selling drugs and turned itself into a much more ambitious criminal organization which acts as a parallel state in much of Michoacán. It extorts "taxes" from businesses, pays for community projects, controls petty crime, and settles some local disputes. Despite its short history, it has emerged as Mexico's largest supplier of methamphetamines to

2744-421: Is given a new mind and body, or "a human form that is visible in the spiritual world [... where] Our spirit enjoys the abilities to see, hear, speak, and have sensations just as it did in this world, and is endowed every faculty of thinking, willing, and doing...". New Church adherents believe that the soul is the recipient of life from God, and the body is its clothing. The beginning of life (the soul) comes from

2842-442: Is known that two cousins originally from the Mexican state of Guanajuato run it, but no photos or names have been obtained by authorities. This shows how trafficking groups are becoming more cunning in hiding from federal authorities. The federal authorities have known that the group smuggles high grade marijuana and cocaine from Guanajuato, traveling up to the border and passing under secret tunnels. DEA agents have received tips saying

2940-487: Is made a servant to the outer self Salvation is possible through Regeneration, a process in which man accepts divine truth from the Lord, and with this knowledge is able to make love of God and Neighbor his highest love in place of worldly things, reforming his inner and outer being, and being born anew into a state of enlightenment, where "Our inner self is in heaven, and an angel among the angels we are going to live with after we die". New Church adherents believe that man

3038-436: Is not faith, and charity without faith is not charity; in this way, faith and charity are intertwined. Faith and charity become one in acts of good works or repentance. The union of faith and charity is a central tenet of the New Church; all substantial things are related to divine love and divine wisdom, and the will and understanding of each person is a receptacle of God's love and wisdom. According to New Church adherents,

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3136-519: Is sometimes described as quasi-religious since its leaders, Moreno González and Méndez Vargas, refer to their assassinations and beheadings as "divine justice." The cartel may have direct or indirect ties with devotees of the New Jerusalem religious movement, which is noted for its concern for justice issues. La Familia's boss and spiritual leader Nazario Moreno González , (a.k.a.: El Más Loco or The Craziest One ) published his own 'bible,' and

3234-462: Is spiritual because every thought and action influences the soul and mind. Man's salvation is heavily affected by spiritual forces. Truly good works join a person with angels, and evil joins them with evil spirits. When divine truth is accepted and one has an evil desire, temptation (conflict) results. Although one must resist temptation, it is really a combat between God and the devil (or hell). Thus, "He who thinks that he fights from himself against

3332-470: Is that there is one God, Jehovah , who incarnated as Jesus so that he may redeem mankind. The second is the obligation to live according to his commandments. "There are two essentials which constitute the church, and hence two principal things of doctrine – one, that the Lord's Human is Divine; the other, that love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor constitute the church, and not faith separate from love and charity." These "two things,

3430-622: Is the largest producer of cocaine in the world, and cocaine production in Colombia reached an all-time high in 2017. Active Colombian drug cartels: Historical Colombian drug cartels: Historically Venezuela has been a path to the United States for illegal drugs originating in Colombia , through Central America and Mexico and Caribbean countries such as Haiti , the Dominican Republic , and Puerto Rico . According to

3528-528: Is their removal after repentance. Swedenborgianism detests the notions of total depravity , and the traditional understandings of salvation through acts, and salvation through faith alone, through grace alone. New Church theology holds that man can desire good and must identify his sinful tendencies, push them aside in place of goodwill, and move from a state of overall ignorance and evil to overall enlightenment and goodness. Man should not simply accept his sinful state and expect faith or acts alone to guarantee him

3626-418: Is to say, became “naturalistic” and devoid of spiritual truth, serving the fears and worldly desires of man rather than providing regeneration. Because of this, the equilibrium between heaven and hell became more and more unbalanced towards the powers of hell prior to the coming of Christ, threatening the entire human race. It is for this reason that God took human form. By doing so, he could provide man with

3724-516: Is where the soul is realized. "All who die and become angels put off those two things proper to nature, which   […] are space and time; for they enter then into spiritual light, in which the objects of thought are truths, and the objects of sight are similar to the objects in the natural world, but correspondent to their thoughts." States of being replace time, love replaces space or distance, and perception of truth replaces material substance These correspondences to time, space, and substance fill

3822-674: The Mexican Federal Police detained 10 Michoacán mayors and 20 other local officials suspected of being associated with the cartel. On July 11, 2009, a cartel lieutenant— Arnoldo Rueda Medina —was arrested. La Familia members attacked the Federal Police station in Morelia to try to free Rueda shortly after his arrest. During the attacks, two soldiers and three federal policemen were killed. When that failed, cartel members attacked Federal Police installations in at least

3920-462: The Mexican War on Drugs (List sorted by branches and heritage): Mexican academic Oswaldo Zavala, in his book Drug Cartels Do Not Exist , argues that academics, officials, journalists and writers are mistaken to label the criminal gangs as cartels, noting that they do not meet the definition due to the competitive nature of the drugs trade, and the lack of hierarchal structure. He states that

4018-525: The New Testament , Jesus sometimes prayed to the Father and declared himself one with the Father at other times. New Church adherents believe that this was because Jesus progressed towards God during his life by gradually making his human body one with the divine . New Church adherents believe that "Regeneration" brings salvation. Regeneration is the process by which man is re-born, transitioning from

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4116-663: The Sinaloa Cartel of Joaquin Guzman . La Familia Michoacana was one of the strongest and fastest growing cartels in Mexico. After the death of Nazario Moreno González , José de Jesús Méndez Vargas ( El Chango Méndez ) took control of the cartel. However, his authority was disputed by the cartel co-founders Enrique Plancarte Solís and Servando Gómez Martínez ( La Tuta ), who formed an offshoot of La Familia calling itself Caballeros Templarios (Knights Templar). Méndez Vargas

4214-748: The United Nations , there has been an increase of cocaine trafficking through Venezuela since 2002. In 2005, Venezuela severed ties with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), accusing its representatives of spying. Following the departure of the DEA from Venezuela and the expansion of DEA's partnership with Colombia in 2005, Venezuela became more attractive to drug traffickers. Between 2008 and 2012, Venezuela's cocaine seizure ranking among other countries declined, going from being ranked fourth in

4312-524: The 'sense-oriented' sinful life he was born into, to a 'spiritual life', where man makes goodness and truth his highest love rather than worldly pleasures, and proceeds to live a life of usefulness and love. God incarnated as Christ to provide man with a path to regeneration, therefore true faith in Jesus Christ leads to salvation. Faith in Jesus is faith in a visible God. Jesus is the image and form of

4410-589: The Beltrán Leyva Organization, splinter groups from La Familia Michoacana and criminal gangs from Mexico City. Drug cartel The basic structure of a drug cartel is as follows: There are other operating groups within the drug cartels. For example, the drug producers and suppliers, although not considered in the basic structure, are critical operators of any drug cartel, along with the smugglers , distributors , sales representatives , accountants and money launderers . Furthermore,

4508-736: The British Conference – Michael Church in London and Colchester New Church – joined the General Church. The Adelaide Society of the New Church, in Adelaide , in the Colony of South Australia . was founded by Jacob Pitman , William Holden , and Smith Owen Smith and their families in 1844. On 11 July 1852, a Swedenborgian church opened on Carrington Street , with Pitman serving as minister until 1859. The congregation grew to

4606-708: The Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section. More than 300 federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies contributed investigative and prosecutorial resources to Project Coronado through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force . In July 2011, the United States Department of Justice announced that a 20-month-long operation known as "Project Delirium" had resulted in more than 221 arrests of La Familia cartel members in

4704-548: The Father is the inner divinity which became outwardly manifest in human form known as the Son . Since adherents believe that the Lord is one with the Father, the Lord's Prayer is directed to the Lord only. In the opening "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name", "name" is everything by which God is worshiped (particularly the Son, through whom he is approached). According to

4802-561: The Italian mafias in that they originated centuries ago and follow a rigid set of traditions, but have several aspects that make them unique, such as their full-body tattoos and their fairly open place in Japanese society. Many yakuza groups are umbrella organizations, smaller gangs reporting to a larger crime syndicate. The Triads is a popular name for a number of Chinese criminal secret societies, which have existed in various forms over

4900-536: The Knights Templar. Mexican analysts believe that La Familia formed in the 1980s with the stated purpose of bringing order to Michoacán, emphasizing help and protection for the poor. In its initial incarnation, La Familia formed as a group of vigilantes , spurred to power to counter interloping kidnappers and drug dealers, who were their stated enemies. Since then, La Familia has capitalized on its reputation, building its myth, power and reach to transition into

4998-473: The Lord ( Jehovah ) is worshiped. Worship of, and faith in, Jesus is not worshiping a created being: although he was born with a human body, the New Church holds that his soul was eternally divine. When he rose from the dead , he discarded the human body he inherited from Mary and put on a human body from the divinity within him (known in the New Church as the Divine Human). According to Swedenborg, God

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5096-489: The Lord's words: 'There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and hid that shall not be known: whatsoever ye have said in the darkness, shall be heard in the light, and what ye have spoken in the ear in closets, shall be preached on the housetops' (Luke 12:2–3). And in another place: 'I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment' (Matthew 12:36)." These intentions and affections determine whether one, in

5194-498: The Mexican state perpetuates the label to justify their militarised response. Note: As of 2020 the DEA considered the cartels of Sinaloa-Beltran, Juarez-Linea, Jalisco, Golfo-Noreste-Zetas, La Familia and Rojos-Guerreros to be the most influential cartels in Mexico. The United States of America is the world's largest consumer of cocaine and other illegal drugs. This is a list of American criminal organizations involved in illegal drug traffic, drug trade and other related crimes in

5292-462: The New Church from other Christian churches, most of which define the Trinity as three eternal persons. The New Church sees Trinitarianism as illogical: "In the ideas of thought a Trinity of Divine Persons from eternity, or before the world was created, is a Trinity of Gods; and these ideas cannot be effaced by a lip-confession of one God." Monotheism is defined as one God who is one person; only

5390-591: The Trinity is defined as "the three essentials of one God, and they make one as soul, body, and operation make one in man. Before the world was created this Trinity was not; but after creation, when God became incarnate, it was provided and brought about; and then in the Lord God the Redeemer and Savior Jesus Christ." As a trinity of body, soul, and spirit exists in every man, this became the Holy Trinity in Jesus. The doctrine of one God as one person distinguishes

5488-496: The United States, along with significant seizures of cash, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Outside of the United States, the operation resulted in the arrest of more than 1,900 members. Cartel members were arrested across the United States, and face charges in Alabama, California, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, D.C. This announcement came just

5586-479: The United States, with supply channels running deep into the Midwestern United States, and has increasingly become involved in the distribution of cocaine, marijuana, and other narcotics. Michael Braun, former DEA chief of operations, states that it operates "superlabs" in Mexico capable of producing up to 100 pounds of meth in eight hours. However, according to DEA officials, it claims to oppose

5684-548: The United States: Italian immigrants to the United States in the early 19th century formed various small-time gangs which gradually evolved into sophisticated crime syndicates which dominated organized crime in America for several decades. Although government crackdowns and a less-tightly knit Italian-American community have largely reduced their power, they remain an active force in the underworld. Colombia

5782-594: The Word exists". The term does not simply refer to Christendom. Christianity’s predecessor, Judaism, as well as all other faiths of the world, though imperfect, are or were, at one point, expressions of the Word. Anyone who believes in God and loves goodness and truth is part of the Church and may be regenerated. Swedenborg divides history into a series of churches, or stages of the Church, that were born and eventually “died”, that

5880-472: The acknowledgment of the Lord, and a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue   […] are the two essentials of the New Church." Adherents believe that these two doctrines bring about salvation and union with Jesus. "All things of the doctrine of the New Church have reference to these two, because they are its universals, on which all the particulars depend, and are its essentials, from which all

5978-474: The arms suppliers operate in a completely different circle; they are technically not considered part of the cartel's logistics. Mexican cartels (also known in Mexico as: la Mafia (the mafia or the mob), La Maña (the skill / the bad manners), narcotraficantes (narco-traffickers), or simply as narcos usually refers to several, rival, criminal organizations that are combated by the Mexican government in

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6076-488: The authorities don't have any evidence to arrest the two cousins or other known associates. The alleged death of Nazario Moreno González on December 9, 2010, led to a split among cartel leaders José de Jesús Méndez Vargas , Enrique Plancarte Solís , and Servando Gómez Martínez . This led the former leaders of La Familia Michoacana, Plancarte and Gomez, to form the Knights Templar cartel, while Jesús Méndez kept

6174-901: The authority of Swedenborg's writings caused a faction to split off and form the Academy of the New Church. It later became known as the General Church of the New Jerusalem – sometimes called the General Church – with its headquarters in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania (a suburb of Philadelphia ). Other congregations felt doctrinally compelled to join the General Church at its inception. Two Convention congregations in Canada (one in Toronto and another in Kitchener) and two congregations from

6272-414: The capacity of the simple and also of children." The Bible cannot be properly understood without doctrine, and church doctrine should be confirmed with it. Doctrine can only be known by those who are enlightened by God, and those who are not can fall into heresy . The Bible contains divine truth ; according to New Church adherents, a person joins God and his angels when reading it. To Swedenborg, man

6370-578: The centuries (see for example Tiandihui ). However, not all Chinese gangs fall into line with these traditional groups, as many non-traditional criminal organizations have formed, both in China and the Chinese diaspora. Although organized crime existed in the Soviet era, the gangs really gained in power and international reach during the transition to capitalism . The term Russian Mafia , 'mafiya' or mob

6468-470: The chaos following the communist era, notably the transition to capitalism and the wars in former Yugoslavia . Swedenborgianism The New Church (or Swedenborgianism ) can refer to any of several historically related Christian denominations that developed under the influence of the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772). The Swedenborgian tradition is considered to be a part of Restorationist Christianity . Swedenborg's writings focus on

6566-712: The conditions there. In structure, it was related to Dante's Divine Comedy . The U.S. church was organised in 1817 with the founding of the General Convention of the New Church (sometimes shortened to the Convention), now also known as the Swedenborgian Church of North America . The movement in the United States strengthened until the late 19th century, and there was a New-Church Theology School in Cambridge . Controversies about doctrine and

6664-408: The country's drug cartels had grown so powerful that they now posed a threat to the future of Mexican democracy. His strategy of direct confrontation and law enforcement is not popular with some segments of Mexican society, where battling violent drug gangs has brought out several human rights charges against the Mexican military. On October 22, 2009, U.S. federal authorities announced the results of

6762-454: The devil is enormously deceived." Both Salvation and Condemnation are results of moral choices, based on intentions. Good acts are only considered good when evil is removed, that is to say they are done out of love for God (not for profit or honour, or any other earthly thing), otherwise they are only externally good and internally evil. Goodness comes only from God, who can conquer temptation (a continuous, lifelong process). Remission of sins

6860-401: The drug cartel or be killed. Advancement within the organization depends as much on regular attendance at prayer meetings as on target practice . The cartel gives loans to farmers, businesses, schools and churches, and it advertises its benevolence in local newspapers in order to gain social support. On July 16, 2009, Servando Gómez Martínez ( La Tuta ), the cartel operations chief, contacted

6958-431: The error concerning three Divine persons from eternity, has perverted the whole church, so that nothing spiritual is left in it." The crucifixion was the last temptation endured by Jesus. New Church adherents believe that there was no space and time before the universe was created, and the realm beyond space, time and material creation is the spiritual world. The spiritual world, which is divided between heaven and hell,

7056-796: The expulsion." Their expulsion was ordered by a commission of the Venezuelan Senate headed by Senator Cristobal Fernandez Dalo and his money laundering investigator, Thor Halvorssen Hellum . They were arrested in September 1992 at Fiumicino airport (Rome), and in 1996 were sentenced to 13–20 years. In May 2015, The Wall Street Journal reported from United States officials that drug trafficking in Venezuela increased significantly with Colombian drug traffickers moving from Colombia to Venezuela due to pressure from law enforcement. One United States Department of Justice official described

7154-550: The first General Conference of the New Church was held in Great Eastcheap, London. New Church ideas were brought to the United States by missionaries, one of whom was John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed). Early missionaries also travelled to parts of Africa . Swedenborg believed that the "African race" was "in greater enlightenment than others on this earth, since they are such that they think more 'interiorly', and so receive truths and acknowledge them." African enlightenment

7252-516: The formalities proceed" If a person is unaware of the doctrines but has believed in one God and lived a life of love for goodness and truth, according to Swedenborg, they will learn them after death. The New Church's universal principle of faith is that the "Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah, came into the world to subjugate the hells and to glorify His Human; and without this no mortal could have been saved; and those are saved who believe in Him": It

7350-429: The groups move up to 2 tons of high grade marijuana to a central hub in Atlanta, then up through I75 to Detroit where it is repackaged into small quantities and spread throughout the city. The money is never tracked because no bank accounts are used. This group is known to have military style weapons obtained from their cartel connections in the United States and Mexico. They show off their luxury life on social networks but

7448-543: The higher ranks of the Venezuelan government and military as "a criminal organization", with high ranking Venezuelan officials, such as National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello , being accused of drug trafficking. Those involved with investigations stated that Venezuelan government defectors and former traffickers had given information to investigators and that details of those involved in government drug trafficking were increasing. The yakuza of Japan are similar to

7546-580: The holiness of the Bible, and a life of good works. The Bible is divinely inspired; according to adherents, its spiritual sense has been revealed in the New Church through symbolic correspondence. Its literal meaning, similar to a parable, hides the inner, spiritual sense: "The truths of the sense of the letter of the Word are in part not naked truths, but are appearances of truth, and like similitudes and comparisons are taken from such things as are in nature; and thus are such as have been accommodated and adapted to

7644-433: The invisible God, on whom the human mind can focus. According to the New Church, God is man himself. If a person is good and follows the truth, God lives in that person (who becomes an image and likeness of him). The New Church is said to be the "crown of all churches which preceded it", since the invisible God is worshiped in human form. Faith is not defined as belief alone; the New Church holds that faith without charity

7742-479: The key to disrupting the operations of complex criminal organizations like La Familia. The investigative efforts in Project Coronado were coordinated by the multi-agency Special Operations Division, comprising agents and analysts from the DEA, FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service and ATF , as well as attorneys from

7840-691: The leadership of the formerly disbanded La Familia Michoacana. By May 2020, all 39 non-Jalisco New Generation cartels 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. Criminal activity in the State of Mexico was also now only contested by Los Rojos , dissidents from

7938-634: The nearest consistory granted permission. Swedenborg begged the king for grace and protection in a letter from Amsterdam; a new investigation of him stalled, and was dropped in 1778. At the time of Swedenborg's death, few efforts had been made to establish an organised church. On 7 May 1787, however (15 years after his death), the New Church movement was founded in England – where Swedenborg had often visited, and where he had died. A number of churches had sprung up around England by 1789, and in April of that year

8036-424: The notion of a trinity of persons from eternity as Polytheistic , instead holding that Christ was born with a “divine mind” or “soul” and human body, absolving his distinct personhood and glorifying his human form through kenosis . The New Church has influenced several other spiritual and philosophical movements, including New Thought and American Transcendentalism . Although Swedenborg spoke in his works about

8134-608: The sale of drugs to Mexicans. It also sells unlicensed DVDs, smuggles people to the United States, and runs a debt-collecting service by kidnapping defaulters. Because oftentimes they use fake and sometimes original uniforms of several police agencies, most of their kidnap victims are stopped under false pretenses of routine inspections or report of stolen vehicles, and then taken hostage. La Familia has also bought some local politicians. 20 municipal officials have been murdered in Michoacán, including two mayors. Having established its authority, it then names local police chiefs. In May 2009,

8232-496: The seed of the father, and the external body comes from the mother. Since most Christians believe that Jesus was born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit, his soul was God itself and he always preexisted as Jehovah. Since souls originate from the seed of the father, New Church adherents do not believe in reincarnation . Spirits and angels, through whom one approaches heaven or hell (depending on one's actions), are associated with

8330-466: The spiritual world with correspondences to things of the material world. In heaven there are landscapes and cities appearing like those of earth, and in hell the landscape appears cavernous and filthy. The presence of the lord appears like a sun above in heaven, its light and heat are truth and goodness, while hell is dark and cold. There are heavenly delights and acts of service to the neighbor, and hellish delights which bring about only suffering. The soul

8428-466: The start of "Project Coronado," the investigation has led to the arrest of more than 1,186 people and the seizure of approximately $ 33 million. Overall, almost 2 metric tons (2.2 short tons) of cocaine, 1,240 kilograms (2,730 lb) of methamphetamine, 13 kilograms (29 lb) of heroin, 7,430 kilograms (16,380 lb) of marijuana, 389 weapons, 269 vehicles, and the two drug labs were seized. Multi-agency investigations such as Project Coronado were

8526-428: The trial questioned whether Swedenborg's theological writings were consistent with Christian doctrine. A royal ordinance in 1770 declared that his writings were "clearly mistaken" and should not be taught, but his theology was never examined. Swedenborg's clerical supporters were ordered to stop using his teachings, and customs officials were directed to impound his books and stop their circulation in any district unless

8624-426: The two making one; whoever therefore is in evil, is also in the punishment of evil. But still no one in the other world suffers punishment on account of the evils which he had done in this world, but on account of the evils which he then does. Yet it amounts to the same, and is the same thing, whether it be said that men suffer punishment on account of their evils in the world, or that they suffer punishment on account of

8722-471: The violence by dispatching additional 1,000 Federal Police officers to the area. The infusion, which more than tripled the number of Federal Police officers patrolling Michoacán, angered Michoacán Governor Leonel Godoy Rangel , who called it 'an occupation' and said he had not been consulted. Days later, 10 municipal police officers were arrested in connection with the slayings of the 12 federal agents. The governor's half-brother Julio César Godoy Toscano , who

8820-402: The world for cocaine seizures in 2008 to sixth in the world in 2012. The cartel groups involved include: Pasquale, Paolo and Gaspare Cuntrera were expelled from Venezuela in 1992, "almost secretly smuggled out of the country, as if it concerned one of their own drug transports. It was imperative they could not contact people on the outside who could have used their political connections to stop

8918-809: Was associated. New Church adherents do not believe in purgatory ; punishment occurs only in hell. Immediately after death, one enters the spirit world (in this case, meaning an intermediary state between heaven and hell) and awaits judgment of whether they will enter heaven or hell. Since the evil try to appear good and the good retain false ideas, one remains in this intermediate state until they are examined. Those who are profoundly good and know truth go immediately to heaven, and those who are profoundly evil flee from heaven's perceived blinding light and burning heat, and go to hell. Otherwise, one gradually withdraws from exterior appearances and fallacies into one's interior intentions and affections "Thus hidden things are laid open and secret things are uncovered, according to

9016-513: Was captured on June 21, 2011, by Mexican police in the state of Aguascalientes . The Mexican Federal Police declared that the cartel has been disbanded. However, the organization continued to exercise its power and influence throughout Michoacán and Guerrero states. In 2017, former La Familia leader Arnoldo Rueda-Medina, who was arrested in Mexico in 2009, was extradited to the United States and sentenced to 45 years in prison in 2018 after being convicted on drug trafficking charges. La Familia cartel

9114-592: Was considered a liberal concept at the time, and Swedenborgians accepted freed African converts in their homes as early as 1790. Several Swedenborgians were also abolitionists . Occultism became increasingly popular during the 19th century (particularly in the United States , France , and England ), and some followers blended Swedenborg's writings with theosophy , cabala , alchemy , and divination . Swedenborg's mystical side fascinated them; they concentrated on Heaven and Hell , which describes Swedenborg's visits to Heaven and Hell to experience (and report on)

9212-408: Was elected July 5, 2009 to the lower house of Congress, was accused of being a top-ranking member of La Familia Michoacana drug cartel and of providing political protection for the cartel. Based on these charges, on December 14, 2010, Godoy Toscano was impeached from the lower house of Congress and therefore lost his parliamentary immunity; he fled and remains a fugitive. President Calderón stated that

9310-524: Was founded by Carlos Rosales Mendoza , a close associate of Osiel Cárdenas . The second leader, Nazario Moreno González , known as El Más Loco (English: The Craziest One ), preached his organization's divine right to eliminate enemies. He carried a "bible" of his own sayings and insisted that his army of traffickers and hitmen avoid using the narcotics they produce and sell. Nazario Moreno's partners were José de Jesús Méndez Vargas , Servando Gómez Martínez and Enrique Plancarte Solís , each of whom has

9408-400: Was how some ancients came to believe in the preexistence of souls and reincarnation. However, the New Church does not consider this to be true, instead believing that one lives only once, and how one lives this life determines one's eternal destiny. At death, the soul sheds the physical body, is born into a spiritual mind and body, and becomes aware of the spiritual society with which one's soul

9506-428: Was made up of the Gulf Cartel , Sinaloa Cartel , and La Familia Michoacana. La Familia Michoacana became a rival of its splinter group Knights Templar . Mexican Attorney General (PGR) reported that La Familia Cartel was "exterminated" by 2011. La Familia has been known to be unusually violent. Its members use murder and torture to quash rivals, while building a social base in the Mexican state of Michoacán . It once

9604-534: Was the fastest-growing cartel in the country's drug war and is a religious cult-like group that celebrates family values. In one incident in Uruapan in 2006, the cartel members tossed five severed heads onto the dance floor of the Sol y Sombra night club along with a message that read: " The Family doesn't kill for money. It doesn't kill women. It doesn't kill innocent people, only those who deserve to die. Know that this

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