Mexican Drug Cartels Mexican Drug Cartel Territories as

Mexican Drug Cartels.

Mexican Drug Cartel Territories (as of May 2010)

Mexican Cartels of Interest • • Tijuana Cartel Sinaloa Cartel (Beltran-Leyva) Gulf Cartel Las Zetas Juarez Cartel La Familia Herrera Family

Current Cartel Alliance Tijuana Cartel (? ) Juarez Cartel (? ) Beltran-Leyva Cartel (? ) Los Zetas verses Gulf Cartel Sinaloa Cartel La Familia

Tijuana Cartel • Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo (“El Padrino”) • Marijuana from Mazatlan to California via Tijuana in the 1970 s • Expanded into cocaine and connected with the Medellin Cartel • Originally called the Guadalajara group • Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesus Ocampo killed in 1983 • DEA Agent Enrique Camarena killed in 1985 • Gallardo “jailed” in 1989 and placed in a super max in the 1990 s • 1987 Acapulco summit gave the California market to Gallardo nephews, the Felix Arellano family (7 brothers and 4 sisters originally) • Gallardo now out and the Cartel is being run by Luis Fernando Sanchez Arellano

Sinaloa Cartel • Pedro Aviles Perez • Moved marijuana from Sinaloa to California on a large scale in the 1960 s • U. S. grew poppies in Sinaloa for morphine production during WWII • Runs marijuana, cocaine, meth and heroin (Chinese and Mexican) • Perez’s nephew Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman heads the cartel today • Most powerful of all the current cartels

Sinaloa Cartel, continued • Controlled the Arizona border, but split into two factions in 2008 when they went to war over the Texas border with the Juarez Cartel. The Beltran-Leyva Cartel now controls Arizona and the Sinaloa Cartel, which won the war with the Juarez Cartel, controls the Texas border. • Was conflict between the Gulf and Sinaloa Cartels, but that has quieted down as they have teamed together to go after primarily the Tijuana Cartel.

Sinaloa Cartel, continued During the Sinaloa vs. Gulf Cartels conflict: Sinaloa Cartel hired Los Zetas as enforcers and The Gulf Cartel hired Los Negros as enforcers Now that the Sinaloa and Gulf Cartels have called a truce, Los Zetas has turned on the Sinaloa Cartel and set up operations in southern Mexico and the Yucatan.

Juarez Cartel • Sometimes called the Carrillo Fuentes Organization • Founded in the 1970 s by Rafael Aguilar Guarjardo then run by his nephew Amado Carrillo Fuentes, or “Lord of the Skies” • Current leader is Amado’s brother, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes • Were the dominant player from El Paso to Laredo, but have lost the war with the Sinaloa Cartel. Still functioning, but the future is unclear.

Gulf Cartel • Cartel del Golfo is based in Matamoros (across from Brownsville, Texas) • Trafficks in cocaine, marijuana, meth, heroin and is involved in extortion and kidnapping • Founded by Juan Nepomuceno Guerra who ran a whiskey smuggling operation in the 1930 s. • Began running marijuana in the 1970 s • His nephew, Garcia Abrego, took over in the 1970 s and greatly expanded operations • Garcia Abrego the 1 st drug trafficker on the FBI 10 Most Wanted List • Had a brand name, “Rolex” and made huge profits

Gulf Cartel, continued • Tied in closely with Mexican President Carlos Salinas and his brother in the late 1980 s and early 1990 s. • Hired the Los Zetas to help with their battle with the Sinaloa Cartel. Once a truce with the Sinaloa’s was reached, Los Zetas broke off and are at odds with the Gulf Cartel and set up their own operations in southern Mexico and the Yucatan • De-centralized leadership model • Current head is thought to be Antonio Ezequiel Cardenas Guillen

La Familia Cartel • A very odd group, based in the Mexican State of Michoacan. • Allied with the Gulf Cartel. • Started as a quasi vigilante, anti-drug dealer, community service group in the 1980 s, but has now morphed into a criminal gang itself • Has moved into drugs and extortion, but, pays for community projects, controls local petty crime, gives loans to farmers and businesses

La Familia, continued • Big into meth, cocaine, marijuana, but, opposes sales of these drugs within Mexico • Emphasizes family values and church attendance • “It does not kill for money, it does not kill innocent. It only kills those who deserve to die”

Herrera Family • Not a cartel per se, but an old Mexican mafia type family ala the Camorra of Naples • Based in Durango, which has a high standard of living due to the steady stream of U. S. dollars coming into the community • Been supplying Mexican mud, brown or black heroin since the 1940 s • Got into the cocaine business for a while, but seem to have moved out • Rest of the cartels leave this entity alone