Drug Cartels
From Drug Rehab Wiki
Drug cartels are criminal organizations that control drug trafficking operations in the global illicit drug market. They are regionally based and expand their enterprises through recruiting, unions with other cartels, defeating rival cartels for territory, and intimidating the community and public officials. These groups developed mostly during the 1970s and can be comprised of various levels of organization such as an informal establishment between drug dealers to an official business enterprise. Drug cartels operate out of various countries in Central and South America, with predominance in Mexico and Colombia.
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Mexican Cartels
Since the downfall of the Colombian Cali and Medellín cartels (which were closely tied to the Colombian government), Mexico has been dominating the underground drug distribution and promotion with the United States as its primary market. The four major cartels are the Gulf cartel, the Tijuana cartel, the Sinaloa cartel, and the Juárez cartel, all of which are based out of Mexico.
Gulf Cartel
The Gulf cartel exists in 13 states with a significant presence in Matamoros, Miguel Alemán, Nuevo Laredo, and Reynosa in Tamaulipas; Monterrey in Nuevo León; and Morelia in Michoacan. Founded by former bootlegger Nepomuceno Guerra, the Gulf cartel traffics cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine across the U.S.-Mexico border, and has become successful largely with its cocaine trade. Because of Guerra’s forged connections with the Mexican government during his political involvement in the 1970s, the cartel has multiple ties to corrupt public officials and corporations.
Guerra’s nephew García Abrego eventually grew into power and replaced his uncle, utilizing the cartel’s political advantages to promote their drug trafficking until his 1996 arrest. The group also performs arms trafficking, human smuggling, kidnapping, extortion, and money laundering, most of which is facilitated by the Gulf’s enforcer gang, the Zetas. Under the leadership of drug lord Oliel Cárdenas (even after his 2003 arrest), the Zetas have helped the Gulf cartel maintain its northern territory and eastern trade routes through its sophisticated three-tiered chain of hierarchy that ranges from political members and ex-law enforcement to petty street criminals.
Tijuana Cartel
The Tijuana cartel exists in 15 states with a significant presence in Tijuana, Ensenada, Mexicali, Tecate, and parts of Sinaloa. It is known as one of the most violent criminal organizations, although its reign has decreased after the loss of its successive leaders. Founded in 1989 by the two Arrellano Félix brothers after the arrest of their uncle (Guadalajara cartel leader Ángel Félix Gallardo) the Tijuana cartel is a mass supplier of cocaine and marijuana into the U.S. via its northwestern trade routes, although the group also traffics heroin and methamphetamine.
This cartel is responsible for the transportation, importation, and distribution of these drugs throughout the U.S. The group formed an alliance with the Gulf cartel, having both their leaders incarcerated at the time, to compete for territory against “The Federation” alliance formed by the Juárez, Sinaloa, and Valencia cartels. The Tijuana cartel’s current leader is alleged to be Luis Arellano, upon the 2006 arrest of Francisco Arellano Felix and the 2008 capture of Eduardo Arellano Félix.
Sinaloa Cartel
The Sinaloa cartel exists in 17 states with a significant presence in most of the state of Sinaloa; Mexico City; Tepic, Nayarit; and Toluca and Cuautitlán in Mexico State, and was pioneered by drug lord Pedro Avilés Pérez. It is a huge distributor of cocaine and heroin into the U.S. since it became a faction in 1989 upon Guadalajara cartel leader Félix Gallardo’s incarceration. Formed by Félix Gallardo’s former lieutenants Palma Salazar, Gómez González, and Joaquín Guzmán Loera (who currently heads the cartel), it has become the most widespread smuggler of cocaine, spanning regions throughout the U.S., Latin America, and South America. It also contains an internal force, known as Los Negros and the Pelones, who are believed to be responsible for recent bloodshed among Mexican police during its turf wars with the Zetas. The group also promotes marijuana and methamphetamine production, transportation, and wholesaling; arms trafficking; money laundering; extortion; kidnapping; and murder.
Juarez Cartel
The Juárez cartel exists in 21 states with a significant presence in Ciudad Juárez and Ojinaga, Chihuahua; Cancún, Quintana Roo; Cuernavaca, Morelos; Culiacán, Sinaloa; Guadalajara, Jalisco; Mexico City; and Monterrey, Nuevo León. Founded by Rafael Aguilar Guajardo in the 1970s and passed on to Amado Carrillo Fuentes in 1993, the group controls one of the largest drug trafficking routes through the U.S.-Mexican border and promotes cocaine transportation and wholesaling, extortion, kidnapping, and murder. It has forged alliances with neighboring Mexican drug lords, known as the Golden Triangle Alliance, which included an alliance with the Sinaloa cartel that eventually broke and has caused massive bloodshed over the two groups’ battle over the Juárez region. The group protects itself through constant intimidation of Mexican citizens and public and law officials, or the use of bribery thanks to its massive supply of financial resources.
New members are perpetually being recruited to continue implementing violence. These new recruits include persuaded former law enforcement officers or militia, trained operatives, and teenage youth from the occupied regions.
