Mexico has several major drug trafficking gangs. They wage drug wars to expand their territory and influence, killing thousands of people each year. These groups control much of the country and are the main cause of many crimes, including political corruption, murder and kidnapping. But which of these groups is the strongest?
Sinaloa cartel
Location: Most of the North West
The United States describes the Sinalio Group as the world's largest drug dealer. Founded in the late 1980s, the group has been led for many years by world-renowned drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. El Chapo, or Atigar, is one of the richest people in the world. His life and drug empire have been the subject of many books and movies.
Under his leadership, the group is known for its brutality and war with many rival factions. Mexican groups clash from time to time, but there have also been cases of becoming allies. During Guzman's presidency, Sinaloa became the largest supplier of illegal drugs in the United States, officials said. They kidnap, torture and enslave members of rival gangs. It also has a large arsenal of weapons, including anti-tank missiles and Guzman's own gilded AK-47.
In July 2019, the boss was sentenced to life in prison, one of the most high-profile trials in U.S. history. Guzman was charged with cocaine, heroin, marijuana trafficking, drug trafficking, kidnapping and conspiracy murder.
After he went to jail, other groups that tried to take advantage of the situation brought chaos to the country. However, the Sinaloa sect was still very powerful. It still dominates northwestern Mexico and casts a shadow over major cities such as Buenos Aires and New York. Experts say the group has made billions of dollars from drug trafficking in the United States, Europe and Asia. The group's long-standing leaders are in prison, but Guzman's son, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, leads the group.
When Kalul Guzman was arrested in October 2019, militants in Sinaloa showed considerable military might. They fought security forces during the day, burned vehicles and even escaped from prison in an organized manner. The incident showed that the group was still strong and that the young Guzman was eventually released.
Jalisco's new generation
Location: West, most of the Tierra Calento region
Founded in 2010, Jalisco Group is one of Sinaloa's strongest competitors. The group grew rapidly throughout Mexico, becoming the country's leading organized criminal group. The group's total assets are estimated at more than $20 billion. Rubin Oseguera, nicknamed El Menco, a former police officer, is the head of the group and a key wanted man in Mexico. He got a $10 million return.
According to the U.S. government, Jalisco Group is a major pharmaceutical supplier in South America. The United States and Europe are major players in the illicit amphetamine market and are believed to have links to the Asian drug market. In recent years, more and more power has been gained through violence.
In addition, the group has repeatedly attacked security forces and officials. At one point, anti-tank missiles destroyed a military helicopter, killed dozens of officials, and hung the bodies of victims on bridges to kill the hearts of the enemy.
Gulf Cartel
Location: Northeast, near the border of Tamaulipas
It is one of the oldest criminal gangs in Mexico, dating back to the 1980s. At the time, he was known for smuggling cocaine and marijuana into the United States, smuggling heroin and amphetamines, and working with Colombian criminal gangs. In the 1990s, the Bran Group's drug trade generated billions of dollars a year. Political corruption and bribery are used to persuade officials to take sides and keep the network running.
The group was originally led by Mexico's first drug king, Juan García Abrego, who has been on the FBI's wanted list for 10 years. He was arrested in 1996 and sentenced to life imprisonment. His successor, Osiel Cadenas Gullen, founded the group's military division. He recruited a large number of special forces soldiers for bribes and became more violent. Cardenas was arrested in 2003 and is currently serving a 25-year sentence in the United States. His younger brother, the group's leading leader, Ezekiel Cardenas Gullen, was killed in a 2010 gunfight with Mexican troops. Since then, the organization has split into many small groups with different leaders. The weakened bay was embroiled in a brutal war with the Los Chitas.
Los Zetascatel
Location: Northeast.
The group was originally made up of corrupt members of Mexico's elite elite. In the 1990s, Gulf spun off from the group's 30 recruits and formed its own group in 2010. The two groups subsequently clashed in northeastern Mexico. The Zita are known for their brutal, tortured and beheaded victims. In 2012, Zitas reached the pinnacle of power. It beat its main rival, Sinaloa, to become the country's largest drug cartel, with operations spanning more than half of Mexico.
In addition to drug trafficking, they are also involved in all possible criminal activities, such as smuggling cigarettes and trafficking in human beings. In late 2012, one of the group's leaders was killed in a clash with the Mexican Navy. His successor, Miguel Angel Morales, was arrested. Morales' younger brother, Omar Trevino Morales, was also arrested in 2015. As a result, the group began to decline, the leaderless Zitas group disintegrated, and other hostile groups began to dominate. Zetas lost their place to the Jalisco Organization, but remained a dangerous organization.