Drug cartel


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. Drug cartels often transport both drugs and narcotics, and most often the term "Narcotics cartel" is not used to describe an organization that transports the latter legally defined set of illegal substances, such as marijuana.

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 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

s 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

  • Cape Verdean organized crime
  • Mungiki
  • Organized crime in Nigeria
  • *Confraternities in Nigeria
  • **Black Axe
  • *Anini gang
  • Mai-Mai militia gangs
  • Moroccan hashish smugglers
  • *Ahmed organization

    Americas

North America

Canada

  • Rivard organization
  • Red Scorpions
  • Bacon Brothers
  • United Nations gang
  • Montreal
  • *West End Gang
  • *Blass gang
  • *Dubois Brothers
  • Indo-Canadian organized crime
  • *Brothers Keepers
  • *Punjabi Mafia ਜੌਹਲ ਗਿਰੋਹ
  • Canadian mafia families
  • *Rizzuto crime family
  • *Cotroni crime family
  • *Musitano crime family
  • *Papalia crime family
  • *Luppino crime family
  • *Cuntrera-Caruana Mafia clan
  • *Perri crime family
  • *Siderno Group
  • *Commisso 'ndrina

    Mexico

Mexican cartels, La Maña, narcotraficantes, or simply as narcos usually refers to several, rival, criminal organizations that are combated by the Mexican government in the Mexican War on Drugs :
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.
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:
  • Polish Mob
  • *Saltis-McErlane Gang
  • *Kielbasa Posse
  • *The Greenpoint Crew
  • *Flats Mob
  • *The Flathead gang
  • Prohibition-era gangs
  • *Galveston
  • **Downtown Gang
  • **Beach Gang
  • **The Maceo syndicate
  • *Shelton Brothers Gang
  • *Sheldon Gang
  • *Broadway Mob
  • *The Lanzetta Brothers
  • *Circus Cafe Gang
  • *Wandering Family
  • *Remus organization
  • Hispanic-American
  • *Marielitos
  • **The Corporation
  • * Mexican Mafia
  • *Border Brothers
  • * Paisas
  • * Nuestra Familia
  • ** Surenos or SUR 13
  • ** Nortenos or Norte 14
  • **Mafia Azteca
  • **Brown Pride or BP
  • *Puerto Rican mafia
  • **Agosto organization
  • **La ONU
  • **Martinez Familia Sangeros
  • **Solano organization
  • **Negri organization
  • **Márquez gambling ring
  • *Polanco-Rodriguez organization
  • Los Angeles
  • *Nash gang
  • *Wonderland Gang
  • * Crips or Locs
  • * Bloods or B Dogs
  • Dixie Mafia
  • *Cornbread Mafia
  • Greek-American organized crime
  • *Philadelphia Greek Mob
  • *Velentzas Family
  • Chaldean mafia
  • Hawaii
  • *The Company
  • *Leota mob
  • Wall gang
  • Elkins mob
  • The Chickens and the Bulls
  • Binion mob
  • Johnston gang
    La Cosa Nostra
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
  • American Mafia
  • The Commission
  • The Five Families of New York City
  • *Bonanno
  • **Indelicato crew
  • **The Motion Lounge Crew
  • *Colombo
  • **Scarpa crew
  • *Genovese
  • **116th Street Crew
  • **Greenwich Village Crew
  • **New Jersey Crew
  • *Gambino
  • **Ozone Park Boys
  • **DeMeo crew
  • **Baltimore Crew
  • **South Florida faction
  • **New Jersey faction
  • **The Bergin Crew
  • **Cherry Hill Gambinos
  • *Lucchese
  • **The Jersey Crew
  • **The Vario Crew
  • **107th Street gang
  • Magaddino crime family
  • DeCavalcante crime family
  • The Chicago Outfit
  • *Las Vegas crew
  • Philadelphia crime family
  • Pittsburgh crime family
  • Patriarca crime family
  • *Angiulo Brothers crew
  • Cleveland crime family
  • Los Angeles crime family
  • Kansas City crime family
  • Trafficante crime family
  • Detroit Partnership
  • Milwaukee crime family
  • New Orleans crime family
    Defunct mafia families
  • Morello crime family
  • Genna crime family
  • Porrello crime family
  • St. Louis crime family
  • Rochester Crime Family
  • Bufalino crime family
  • Dallas crime family
  • Denver crime family
  • San Francisco crime family
  • San Jose crime family
  • Seattle crime family
  • Omaha crime family
  • Licavoli Mob
  • Cardinelli gang
  • New York Camorra
  • East Harlem Purple Gang
  • National Crime Syndicate
  • *Seven Group
  • *Murder, Inc.
    Jewish mafia">Jewish-American organized crime">Jewish mafia
  • New York City
  • *Schultz gang
  • *The Bugs and Meyer Mob
  • *Shapiro Brothers
  • *Yiddish Black Hand
  • *Rothstein organization
  • *Kaplan gang
  • *Rosenzweig gang
  • Boston
  • *69th Street Gang
  • *Sagansky organization
  • *Solomon organization
  • Los Angeles
  • *Mickey Cohen gang
  • The Purple Gang
  • Zwillman gang
  • Kid Cann's gang
  • Birger mob
  • Cleveland Syndicate
    [African-American organized crime]
  • New York City
  • *The Council
  • *Harlem numbers racket
  • *Bumpy Johnson gang
  • *Supreme Team
  • *The Bebos
  • *The Country Boys
  • *Matthews Organization
  • The Family
  • Detroit
  • *Black Mafia Family
  • *Young Boys, Inc.
  • *Chambers Brothers
  • Philadelphia
  • *Black Mafia
  • *Junior Black Mafia
  • Oakland, California
  • *69 Mob
  • Baltimore
  • *Williams organization
  • Washington, D.C.
  • *Rayful Edmond organization
  • Chicago
  • *Theodore Roe's gambling ring
  • *Stokes organization
  • Atlantic City
  • *Aso Posse
  • Miami
  • *Miami Boys
  • Rosemond Organization