Signs in Mexico allege cartel offer to disband

MEXICO CITY – One of Mexico’s major narcotics gangs reportedly offered Wednesday to disband if the government would intensify security in the state of Michoacan, the cradle of its drug empire, and keep rival drug gangs out.

The offer came in a series of cloth banners and printed fliers in Michoacan state early in the day. Their authenticity couldn’t be determined.

None of Mexico’s major drug cartels has ever made such an offer. Since gangsters don’t often give up their lucrative enterprises, the statement by the Michoacan Family, a cartel known for religious zeal, beheadings, was met with skepticism.

The federal attorney general’s office dismissed the offer. The government “cannot make deals with criminals,” spokesman Ricardo Najera said.

The cloth banners hung from bridges in the cities of Maravatio and Ciudad Hidalgo, and fliers appeared across the state along Mexico’s central Pacific coast.