Mexican police kill most wanted drug cartel boss

Mexican police have killed one of the country's most wanted drug cartel leaders. Nazario Moreno, one of the founders of the La Familia drug cartel, died on Thursday in a shoot-out in the western town of Apatzingan, the government reports.

Reuters//Leogivildo Gonzalez

Clashes between police and La Familia gunmen broke out late Wednesday in Apatzingan, which is also Moreno's home town. Police believe the group's main headquarters were located nearby.

Alleged La Familia supporters, many carrying weapons, set stolen vehicles on fire at the main points of access to the town.

Moreno is known as "El Chayo" (the doctor) and "El Mas Loco" (the maddest) and had a 2.4-million-dollar (1.8-Million-euro) bounty on his head.

He founded La Familia, now one of Mexico's seven biggest drug cartels, in 2006 along with Jose de Jesus Mendez, also known as "El Chango" and Servando Gomez Martinez, "La Tuta", both of whom are believed to be still alive.

Moreno wrote The Gospel of La Familia, a manual distributed to group members that gives advice, warns against the use of drugs and alcohol, and justifies crimes of retribution as "divine justice".

At least three alleged La Familia members, five officers and three civilians were killed in the shoot-out, a government spokesperson said.

He said many cartel members fled with their wounded

On Tuesday, authorities arrested another La Familia leader Jose Antonio Arcos, and another drug lord was killed last week.