(CNN) -- An alleged drug cartel boss killed in clashes with Mexican authorities was also a "spiritual leader" who used religion to recruit criminals and strengthen his stronghold, according to a Mexican government report.
Nazario Moreno Gonzalez dubbed himself the "savior of the people" and crafted the violent La Familia Michoacana cartel's philosophy, outlined in a "bible" provided to new recruits, a profile released Friday by the office of Mexico's president says.
"Moreno started as a migrant in California, continued trafficking marijuana on the border and became the leader of one of the most violent criminal organizations in the history of Mexico," the report says.
La Familia began its operations in the state of Michoacan at the beginning of the decade, the country's national security spokesman told reporters Friday. But it grabbed national attention in 2006, after reportedly hurling five decapitated heads of rival gang members onto a dance floor.
Local media described a message found at the gruesome scene: "La Familia does not kill for money, does not kill women, does not kill innocents. The only ones who die are those who must die. Everyone should know: this is divine justice".
Mexican authorities said Moreno's tenure as one of the cartel's leaders ended Thursday, when he was gunned down after two days of shootouts between authorities and suspected members of the organization he founded. CNN
