A drug cartel is a criminal organization composed of independent drug lords who collude with each other in order to improve their profits and dominate the illegal drug trade. Drug cartels form with the purpose of controlling the supply of the illegal drug trade and maintaining prices at a high level. The formations of drug cartels are common in Latin American countries. Rivalries between multiple drug cartels cause them to wage turf wars against each other. The term "narcotics cartel" is sometimes used to describe an organization that sells and trafficks narcotics (defined as substances that are illegal, such as cocaine in most places), but this term is not always used accurately as cartels can traffick eg. marijuana in jurisdictions where it is not illegal.

Structure

The basic structure of a drug cartel is as follows:

Falcons

Considered as the "eyes and ears" of the streets, the "falcons" are the lowest rank in any drug cartel. They are scouts, who are responsible for conducting reconnaissance, such as reporting the activities of the police, the military and rival groups.

Hitmen

The armed group within the drug cartel, responsible for carrying out assassinations, kidnappings, thefts and extortions, operating protection rackets, as well as defending their plaza (turf) from rival groups and the military.

Lieutenants

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 murders without permission from their bosses.

Drug lords

Drug lords are the highest position in any drug cartel, responsible for supervising the entire drug industry, appointing territorial leaders, making alliances, in addition to planning high-profile murders.

Other roles

There are other operating groups within the drug cartels. For example, the drug producers and suppliers, although not considered in the basic structure, are critical operators of any drug cartel, along with the smugglers, distributors, sales representatives, accountants and money launderers. Furthermore, the arms suppliers operate in a completely different circle; they are technically not considered part of the cartel's logistics.

Africa

Americas

North America

Canada

Mexico

Mexican cartel headquarters

Mexican cartels (also known in Mexico as: la Mafia (the mafia or the mob), La Maña (the skill / the bad manners), narcotraficantes (narco-traffickers), or simply as narcos usually refers to several, rival, criminal organizations that are combated by the Mexican government in the Mexican drug war (List sorted by branches and heritage):

Mexican academic Oswaldo Zavala, in his book Drug Cartels Do Not Exist, argues that academics, officials, journalists and writers are mistaken to label the criminal gangs as cartels, noting that they do not meet the definition due to the competitive nature of the drugs trade, and the lack of hierarchal structure. He states that the Mexican state perpetuates the label to justify their militarised response.

According to some observers in 2010, Los Zetas instituted social media demonstrations of torture and sadism in their reprisals which changed the rules of the game among the Mexican cartels. The level of violence and social instability greatly increased during the presidency of Felipe Calderon. The Calderon and Foxe administrations worked closer with American law enforcement and utilized the military forces which led to some confusion among local law enforcement in public security and a variety of human rights abuses and corruption. The former head of Mexican law enforcement, Genaro García Luna, was sentenced in the Eastern District of New York on October 16, 2024 for his role in Sinaloa Cartel associated drug trafficking in the United States.

Note: As of 2020 the DEA considered the cartels of Sinaloa, Jalisco and Golfo-Noreste-Zetas to be the most influential cartels in Mexico.

Drug trafficking tunnel under the U.S.-Mexico border used by the Sinaloa Cartel
  • Gulf Cartel (The oldest Mexican criminal syndicate, started as Prohibition-era bootlegging gang) Los Zetas (Formerly part of the Gulf Cartel, now independent) Zetas Vieja Escuela (Formerly part of Los Zetas, now independent) Cártel del Noreste (Formerly part of Los Zetas, now independent) La Familia Michoacana (Formerly a branch of the Gulf Cartel, then went independent) La Nueva Familia Michoacana Organization (Splintered from La Familia Cartel) Knights Templar Cartel (Splintered from La Familia Cartel) Los Negros (Beltran-Leyva enforcement squad; disbanded) South Pacific Cartel (branch of the Beltran Leyva Cartel in Morelos) Independent Cartel of Acapulco (Splinter from the Beltran-Leyva Cartel) La Barredora (gang) La Mano Con Ojos (gang) (small cell of Beltran-Leyva members in the State of Mexico) (Disbanded) La Nueva Administración (Splintered from the Beltran-Leyva Cartel) (Disbanded) La Oficina (gang) (cell of the Beltran-Leyva Cartel in Aguascalientes) (Disbanded) Cártel de la Sierra (cell in Guerrero) Cártel de La Calle (cell in Chiapas) Los Chachos (gang in Tamaulipas) (Disbanded)
Drug war related murders in Mexico, 2006–2011

United States

Map of violent crime per 100,000 people in the US by state in 2016

The United States of America is the world's largest consumer of cocaine and other illegal drugs. This is a list of American criminal organizations involved in illegal drug traffic, drug trade and other related crimes in the United States:

Mexican drug cartels operating in the United States in 2015

La Cosa Nostra

Italian immigrants to the United States in the early 19th century formed various small-time gangs which gradually evolved into sophisticated crime syndicates which dominated organized crime in America for several decades. Although government crackdowns and a less-tightly knit Italian-American community have largely reduced their power, they remain an active force in the underworld.

Active crime families

Defunct mafia families

Jewish mafia

African-American organized crime

Irish Mob

Caribbean

South America

Brazil

Bolivia

Colombia

Luis Hernando Gomez-Bustamante, also known as "Rasguño", arrest performed by the National Police of Colombia

Colombia is the largest producer of cocaine in the world, and cocaine production in Colombia reached an all-time high in 2017.

Active Colombian drug cartels:

Historical Colombian drug cartels:

Peru

Ecuador

Active Ecuadorian drug cartels:

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 has been an increase of cocaine trafficking through Venezuela since 2002. In 2005, Venezuela severed ties with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), accusing its representatives of spying. 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. 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 to sixth in the world in 2012. The cartel groups involved include:

  • The Cuntrera-Caruana Mafia clan moved to Venezuela, 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.

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), and in 1996 were sentenced to 13–20 years.

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. One 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. 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.

Central America

Honduras

El Salvador

Guatemala

Nicaragua

Asia

East Asia

Korea

Japan

Japanese criminal organizations

The yakuza of Japan are similar to the Italian mafias in that they originated centuries ago and follow a rigid set of traditions, but have several aspects that make them unique, such as their full-body tattoos and their fairly open place in Japanese society. Many yakuza groups are umbrella organizations, smaller gangs reporting to a larger crime syndicate.

Active yakuza groups

Defunct yakuza groups

Chinese

The Triads is a popular name for a number of Chinese criminal secret societies, which have existed in various forms over the centuries (see for example Tiandihui). However, not all Chinese gangs fall into line with these traditional groups, as many non-traditional criminal organizations have formed, both in China and the Chinese diaspora.

Southeast Asia

Vietnamese Xã Hội Đen

  • Bình Xuyên
  • Đại Cathay's mafia during the 60s
  • Năm Cam's mafia of the 90s
  • Khánh Trắng's "Đồng Xuân Labor Union", a crime syndicate under the guise of a legal entity
  • Dung Hà's gang
  • Vũ Xuân Trường's gang: a crime syndicate led by Vũ Xuân Trường, a government official and also a drug lord.

South Asia

India

Uttar Pradesh

Bangalore

Sri Lanka

Pakistan

Afghanistan

Central Asia

West Asia

Eurasia

Russia

Although organized crime existed in the Soviet era, the gangs really gained in power and international reach during the transition to capitalism. The term Russian Mafia, 'mafiya' or mob is a blanket (and somewhat inaccurate) term for the various organized crime groups that emerged in this period from the 15 former republics of the USSR and unlike their Italian counterparts does not mean members are necessarily of Russian ethnicity or uphold any ancient criminal traditions, although this is the case for some members.

North Caucasia

See also Caucasus Emirate

Georgia

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Europe

Sweden

Netherlands

France

Greece

Ireland

Spain

Poland

Slovakia

Hungary

Czech Republic

Italy

Balkans

Balkan organized crime gained prominence in the chaos following the communist era, notably the transition to capitalism and the wars in former Yugoslavia.

Great Britain

Ukraine

Lithuania

Estonia

Transnistria

  • Transnistrian mafia

Australia

Further reading

  • Aire, Jose Gutierrez (2012). . Createspace Independent Pub. ISBN 978-1477592274.
  • . Frontline. 2006. PBS.
  • Holmes, Jennifer S.; Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres, Sheila; Curtin, Kevin M. (2006). "Drugs, Violence, and Development in Colombia: A Department-Level Analysis". Latin American Politics and Society. 48 (3): 157–184. doi:. S2CID . ProQuest .

External links

  • – Worldpress, 2006