Drug cartel

A drug cartel is any criminal organization with the intention of supplying drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the largest trafficking organizations reached an agreement to coordinate the production and distribution of cocaine. Since that agreement was broken up, drug cartels are no longer actually cartels, but the term stuck and it is now popularly used to refer to any criminal narcotics related organization, such as those in Afghanistan, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Russia, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The basic structure of a drug cartel is as follows:

• Falcons (Spanish: Halcones): Considered the "eyes and ears" of the streets, the "falcons" are the lowest rank in any drug cartel. They are responsible for supervising and reporting the activities of the police, the military, and rival groups.^[1]
• Hitmen (Spanish: Sicarios): The armed group within the drug cartel, responsible for carrying out assassinations, kidnappings, thefts, extortions, operating protection rackets, and defending their plaza (turf) from rival groups and the military.^[2][3]
• Lieutenants (Spanish: Lugartenientes): The second highest position in the drug cartel organization, responsible for supervising the hitmen and falcons within their own territory. They are allowed to carry out low-profile executions without permission from their bosses.^[4]
• Drug lords (Spanish: Capos): The highest position in any drug cartel, responsible for supervising the entire drug industry, appointing territorial leaders, making alliances, and planning high-profile executions.^[5]

It is worth noting that there are other operating groups within the drug cartels. For example, the drug producers and suppliers,^[6] although not considered in the basic structure, are critical operators of any drug cartel, along with the financiers and money launderers.^[7][8][9] In addition, the arms suppliers operate in a completely different circle,^[10] and are technically not considered part of the cartel’s logistics.

Africa

• Moroccan mafia
• Nigerian mafia

Americas

North America

United States

Map of violent crime per 100,000 people in the USA by state in 2004

The United States of America is the world's largest consumer of cocaine^[11] and other illegal drugs.^{[12][13][14][15]} This is a list of American criminal organizations involved in illegal drug traffic, drug trade and other related crimes in the United States:

• 18th Street gang
• American Mafia
• Aryan Brotherhood
• Bandidos
• Black Guerilla Family
• Black Mafia Family
• Bloods
• Crips
• Gangster Disciples
• Logan Heights Gang^[16]
• Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)^[17]
• Mexican Mafia (LA Eme)^[18]
• Mexikanemi
• MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha)
• Mongols MC
• Norteños 14
• Nuestra Familia
• Outlaws MC
• Pagans
• PEN1
• Sureños 13
• Texas Syndicate^[19]
• The Devil's Rejects (The People's Syndicate)
• Triads
• Vagos MC
• Vice Lords
• Yakuza
• Zoe Pound
• Government officials: Other American organizations that have been involved in drug trade or traffic. (however this does not necessarily apply for the whole institutions):
  • Texas National Guard^[20]
  • Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) ^[21]
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)^[20]
  • United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)^[22]
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection^[23][24]
  • United States Immigration and Naturalization Service^[20]

Mexico

• Not to be confused with the Mexican Mafia U.S. street gang.

The Mérida Initiative, a U.S. Counter-Narcotics Assistance to Mexico

Mexican cartels (also known in Mexico as: La Mafia (the mafia or the mob), La Maña (the skill / the bad manners),^[25] Narcotraficantes (Narco-Traffickers), or simply as Narcos) is a generic term that usually refers to several, usually rival, criminal organizations that are combated by the Mexican government in the in the Mexican War on Drugs (List sorted by branches and heritage):^[26]

• Gulf Cartel (The oldest Mexican Criminal syndicate, started as prohibition-era bootlegging gang)
  • Los Zetas (Formerly part of the Gulf cartel, now independent)
  • La Familia Michoacana (Formerly a branch of the Gulf Cartel, then went independent)^[27][28] (Disbanded)
  • Los Caballeros Templarios (Splintered from La Familia Cartel)^[29]
• Guadalajara Cartel (The first full-fledged Mexican Drug cartel, from which most of the big cartels spawned) (Disbanded in 1989)
• Sinaloa Cartel (Spawned from the Guadalajara Cartel)
  • Colima Cartel (Disbanded, former members are now a branch of the Sinaloa Cartel)^[30]
  • Sonora Cartel (Disbanded in 1989, its remnants joined the Sinaloa Cartel)^[30]
  • Artistas Asesinos (hitman squad)^[31] (Disbanded)
  • Gente Nueva (Sinaloa cell in Chihuahua)^[32] (Disbanded)
  • Los Ántrax (enforcer squad)
• Milenio Cartel (First loyal to the Sinaloa Cartel federation, later independent) (Disbanded)
  • La Resistencia^[33] (Splintered from the milenio cartel) (Disbanded)
  • Jalisco New Generation Cartel^[34] (Independent remnants of the Milenio cartel)
• Beltrán-Leyva Cartel (Formerly part of the Sinaloa Cartel federation, later independent) (Disbanded)
  • Los Negros (Beltran-Leyva enforcement squad) (Disbanded)
  • South Pacific Cartel (branch of the Beltran Leyva Cartel in Morelos)^[35][36][37]
  • Cártel del Centro^[38] (cell of the Beltran-Leyva Cartel in Mexico City) (Disbanded)
  • Cártel Independiente de Acapulco^[39] (Splinter from the Beltran-Leyva Cartel)
  • La Barredora (gang)^[40]
  • El Comando Del Diablo (gang)^[41] (Hitman squad of la Barredora)^[42] (Disbanded)
  • La Mano Con Ojos (gang)^[43] (small cell of Beltran-Leyva members in the State of Mexico) (Disbanded)
  • La Nueva Administración^[44] (Splintered from the Beltran-Leyva Cartel) (Disbanded)
  • La Oficina (gang)^[45] (cell of the Beltran-Leyva Cartel in Aguascalientes) (Disbanded)
  • Cártel de la Sierra (cell in Guerrero)^[46][47]
  • Cártel de La Calle (cell in Chiapas)^[48][49]
  • Los Chachos (gang in Tamaulipas) (disbanded)^[50][51]
• Tijuana Cartel (Spawned from the Guadalajara Cartel)
  • Oaxaca Cartel (Was a branch of the disbanded Tijuana Cartel, its regional leader was captured in 2007)
• Juárez Cartel(Spawned from the Guadalajara Cartel)
  • La Línea (Juárez Cartel enforcer squad)
  • Barrio Azteca (U.S. Street Gang)^[52][52] (Allied with La Linea)
• Lesser-known small-criminal organizations:
  • Los Mexicles (U.S. Street Gang)^[53]
  • Los Texas (street gang) (disbanded)^[54]
• Government officials: Other organizations that have been involved in drug trade or traffic in Mexico. (however this does not necessarily apply for the whole institutions):
  • Mexican officials:
    • Municipal, State, and Federal police forces in Mexico^[55][56][57]
    • Mexican Armed Forces (Army and Navy^{[58][59][60][61][62][63]})
    • Mexico City International Airport^[64]
    • Club Xoloitzcuintles (football)^[65][66]
  • United States officials:
    • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)^[20]
    • Texas National Guard^[20]
    • U.S. Customs and Border Protection^[23][24]
    • United States Immigration and Naturalization Service^[20]

South America

Brazil

• Comando Vermelho
• Primeiro Comando da Capital
• Terceiro Comando Puro

Colombia

Until 2011 Colombia remained the world's largest cocaine producer,^[67] however with a strong anti-narcotic strategy in 2012 the country achieved a great decrease in cocaine production and fell to the third position, behind Peru and Bolivia.^[68]

The current main actors in the drug trade are:

• Neo-paramilitary criminal gangs, also called BACRIM^[69]
  • Black Eagles (Aguilas Negras)
  • Bloque Meta
  • Los Rastrojos
  • Los Urabeños
  • Oficina de Envigado
• EPL (Partially demobilized)
• FARC (Weakened by a US-backed counter-insurgency plan)
• ELN (Weakened by a US-backed counter-insurgency plan)

Historical actors in the drug trade were:

• Cali Cartel (dissolved)
• Medellín Cartel (dismantled)
• North Coast Cartel (dismantled)
• Norte del Valle Cartel (dissolved)
• AUC (demobilized)

Venezuela

Historically Venezuela has been a path to the United States for illegal drugs originating in Colombia, through Central America and Mexico and Caribbean countries such as Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.

According to the United Nations, there was an increase of cocaine trafficking through Venezuela since 2002.^[70] In 2005 Venezuela severed ties with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), accusing its representatives of spying.^[71] Following the departure of the DEA from Venezuela and the expansion of DEA's partnership with Colombia in 2005, Venezuela became more attractive to drug traffickers.^[72] Between 2008 and 2012, Venezuela's cocaine seizure ranking among other countries declined, going from being ranked fourth in the world for cocaine seizures in 2008^[73] to sixth in the world in 2012.^[74] The cartel groups involved include:

• The Cuntrera-Caruana Mafia clan moved to Venezuela,^[75] which became an important hideout as the clan bought hotels and founded various businesses in Caracas and Valencia, as well as an extended ranch in Barinas, near the Colombian border. "Venezuela has its own Cosa Nostra family as if it is Sicilian territory," according to the Italian police. "The structure and hierarchy of the Mafia has been entirely reproduced in Venezuela." The Cuntrera-Caruana clan had direct links with the ruling Commission of the Sicilian Mafia, and are acknowledged by the American Cosa Nostra.^[75]

Pasquale, Paolo and Gaspare Cuntrera were expelled from Venezuela in 1992, "almost secretly smuggled out of the country, as if it concerned one of their own drug transports. It was imperative they could not contact people on the outside who could have used their political connections to stop the expulsion." Their expulsion was ordered by a commission of the Venezuelan Senate headed by Senator Cristobal Fernandez Dalo and his money laundering investigator, Thor Halvorssen Hellum. They were arrested in September 1992 at Fiumicino airport (Rome),^[76][77] and in 1996 were sentence to 13–20 years.^[75]

• Norte del Valle Cartel : In 2008 the leader of the Colombian Norte del Valle Cartel, Wilber Varela, was found murdered in a hotel in Mérida in Venezuela.^[78] In 2010 Venezuela arrested and deported to the United States Jaime Alberto "Beto" Marin, then head of the Norte del Valle Cartel.^[79]
• The Cartel of the Suns According to Jackson Diehl. Deputy Editorial Page Editor of The Washington Post, the Bolivarian government of Venezuela shelters "one of the world’s biggest drug cartels". There have also been allegations that former president Hugo Chávez and Diosdado Cabello being involved with drug trafficking.^[80]

In May 2015, The Wall Street Journal reported from United States officials that drug trafficking in Venezuela increased significantly with Colombian drug traffickers moving from Colombia to Venezuela due to pressure from law enforcement.^[81] On United States Department of Justice official described the higher ranks of the Venezuelan government and military as "a criminal organization", with high ranking Venezuelan officials, such as National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello, being accused of drug trafficking.^[81] Those involved with investigations stated that Venezuelan government defectors and former traffickers had given information to investigators and that details of those involved in government drug trafficking were increasing.^[81]

Central American and Caribbean

El Salvador

• Mara Salvatrucha
• 18th Street Gang

Haiti

• Zoe Pound

Jamaica

• Shower Posse
• Yardies

Asia

Afghanistan

• Haji Ayub Afridi
  • Opium production in Afghanistan^[82][83]
    • Haji Bashar^[84]
    • Juma Khan
    • Afghan Mafia
    • Noorzai Cartel

China

• Triads
  • 14K
  • Sun Yee On
  • Wo Shing Wo
  • Tai Huen Chai
  • Shui Fong

Golden Triangle

• Khun Sa Cartel
• Hawngleuk Militia
• United Wa State Army (Red Wa Cartel)

Japan

• Kyushu Seido-kai, Japan
• Inagawa-kai
• Sumiyoshi-kai
• Yamaguchi-gumi
  • Kodo-kai
  • Takumi-gumi
  • Yamaken-gumi

Eurasia

Russia

• Azeri mafia
• Chechen mafia
• Georgian mafia
• Russian Mafia
  • Solntsevskaya Bratva
  • Tambovskaya Bratva
  • Vory v Zakone

Europe

France

• French Milieu
  • including Caids des Cités

Ireland

• Irish mob
• Liverpudlian mafia

Italy

• Basilischi Mafia^[85]
• Camorra Mafia
• Clan dei Casamonica^[86]
• Mala del Brenta
• Ndrangheta
• Nuova Famiglia Salentina,^[87]
• Remo Lecce Libera,^[88]
• Rosa dei Venti^[89]
• Sacra Corona Unita
• Sicilian Mafia (Cosa Nostra)
• Società foggiana^[90]
• La Stidda

Netherlands

• Dutch Penose
  • including Riffian mafia and Kajahatan
• No Limit Soldiers in Curaçao and the Netherlands

United Kingdom

• British crime firms
  • including Turkish-Cypriot mafia and Pakistani mafia,
• Cheetham Hillbillies
• Tottenham Mandem
• Woolwich Boys

Other organized crime groups based in Europe

• Albanian mafia
• Bosnian mafia
• Bulgarian mafia
• Corsican mafia
• Estonian mafia
• Macedonian Mafia
• Montenegrin Mafia
• Serbian mafia
• Kurdish mafia "Aşiret"(Tribe)
• Turkish mafia

Middle East

Israel

• Abergil crime family
• Abutbul crime family^[91]
• Alperon crime family
• Amir Molnar crime syndicate
• Dumrani crime family
• Shirazi crime family
• Zeev Rosenstein crime syndicate

Other parts of the world

• Cartel del Az
• History of Jardine, Matheson & Co.

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Further reading

• Aire, Jose Gutierrez (2012). Blood, Death, Drugs and Sex in Old Mexico. Createspace Independent Pub. ISBN 147759227X.
• PBS. 2006. Frontline: Drug Wars.

External links

• Worldpress.org. 2006. "Mexico: Drug Cartels a Growing Threat." Worldpress.org.