On June 2, 2025, Luis Pineda, also known as “El Wicho”, an alleged regional leader of the La Familia Michoacana cartel, was shot and killed along with a companion in a targeted ambush in the upscale Burgos neighborhood of Temixco, Morelos, Mexico.
The execution was caught on surveillance video, showing two armed men exiting a vehicle and opening fire on Pineda and his associate as they got into a red Volkswagen Beetle. Nearby, a white Chevrolet Corvette was also hit by bullets. The attackers fled in a white Nissan Tsuru. No arrests have been made.
The attack came shortly after rival group “Los de Siempre” (also known as the “Federación Morelense”), led by Abel Maya, had hung narco-banners threatening members of La Familia Michoacana.
Following the murder, messages appeared online imposing a curfew in parts of Cuernavaca, further escalating tensions. Authorities have launched a homicide investigation. Pineda was reportedly under investigation for extortion, kidnapping, and illegal firearms possession.
This killing is part of a broader surge in cartel violence in Morelos, where at least nine criminal organizations are believed to be operating — including La Familia Michoacana and Los Mayas.