The Cartels

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.[1] 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.

History

Mexican cartels (also known in Mexico as: la Mafia (the mafia or the mob), La Maña (the skill / the bad manners),[22] 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.[25] 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.

Status

The goal of the organization in detail.

Known Members

This is a sample of the American Cartels.

Don Gilberto Alcantara Cuiliacan Cartel	Don El Dragon Cuchillo Cartel	Hitman El Toro Cuchillo Cartel	Don Jorge Valdez Quintas Cartel	Don Mr. Secretary Dos Soles Cartel

Lieutenant Hector Suarez Dos Soles Cartel	Don Esmeralda Lobo Lobo Cartel	Black Tarantula Carlos De La Muerte	Northwest Lieutenant Morgan Tracey	Don Cuchillo Cuchillo Cartel Deceased

Enforcer Bushmaster	Enforcer Gus Zapata	Enforcer Rigo Zapata	Enforcer Salamander

Black Knife Cartel

A criminal organization known for their brutality that deals meth out of Colombia.

Don Teodor Zarco	Hitman Fabian Losani	Hitmen Black Knife Cartel

New Juarez Cartel

Don Eladio Vuente	Senior Lieutenant Juan Bolsa	Doctor Benecio Fuentes	Lieutenant Charlie Manson	Hitman, Bodyguard Joaquin Salamanca

Hitman, Bodyguard Miguel	Hitman Gaff	Hitman Robert Williams	Driver Ximenez Lecerda	Transporter Coyote

Salamanca Family

Former Lieutenant, NM Hector Salamanca	Lieutenant, NM Lalo Salamanca	Hitman Marco Salamanca	Hitman Leonel Salamanca	Sub-Lieutenant, ABQ Tuco Salamanca

Tuco Salamanca's Crew, ABQ

Hitman Nacho Ignacio Varga	Hitman Arturo Colon	Hitman Krazy-8 Domingo Molina	Hitman Blingy	Hitman Gonzo Alvaro Gonzales

Hitman No-Doze Normando dos Santos	Hitman Carlos	Hitman Javier	Hitman Turk	Hitman Emilio Koyama

Dealer Arlo	Dealer Mouse

Fring Group, Albuquerque

Lieutenant, ABQ Gustavo Fring	Security Head Mike Ehrmantraut	Doctor Barry Goodman	Enforcer Tyrus Kitt	Enforcer Carlos

Enforcer Keith	Enforcer Nick	Enforcer Victor	Enforcer Anthony Perez	Enforcer Chris Mara

Enforcer Harris Boivin	Enforcer Isaac Conley	Enforcer Jack McGann	Enforcer Raymond Martinez	Enforcer William Monez

Meth Production

Head Cook Heisenberg Walter White	Second Cook Cap'n Cook Jesse Pinkman	Assistant Cook Gale Boetticher

Trivia

Bullet points (use the asterisk) of facts about the organization, this section is fully optional. If there is no trivia, don't put in this section.