A Brawl Below the Border

A BRAWL BELOW THE BORDER THE ONGOING DRUG TRADE IN MEXICO HAS BEEN ONE OF THE NATION'S CHIEF CONCERNS FOR SOME TIME NOW. BUT THE LEVEL OF GRUESOME VIOLENCE HAS ESCALATED TO Notable Facts: NEAR CATASTROPHIC PROPORTIONS SINCE PRESIDENT FELIPE CALDERON TOOK OFFICE The Sinaloa Cartel, with an established presence in 47 countries, is the largest cocaine trafficker from South America to the global market. Sinaloa's leader, IN DECEMBER, 2006, CREATING VIRTUAL GHOST TOWNS AS PEOPLE HAVE SOUGHT REFUGE IN SAFER STATES. THIS VIOLENCE HAS PRIMARILY BEEN PERPETRATED BY SEVEN THE CARTELS THAT ARE TURNING MEXICO INTO A FAILED STATE DRUG CARTELS, ALL OF WHICH ARE VYING FOR TERRITORY AND POWER. TIJUANA CARTEL SINALOA CARTEL Juaquin Guzman Loera, was recently included in Forbes list of most powerful and richest people in the world. EST. 1980s EST. 1989 Recent Setbacks: The Mexican military took out their number three in command, Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel, in a massive sting operation in July, 2010. ORIVALS. ALLIES RIVALS • • ALLIES JUÁREZ CARTEL TIJUANA CARTEL LOS ZETAS BELTRÁN-LEYVA CARTEL GULF CARTEL LA FAMILIA CARTEL GULF CARTEL JUÁHEZ CARTEL LOS ZETAS BELTRÁN-LEYVA CARTEL SINALOA CARTEL LA FAMILIA CARTEL GULF CARTEL LUIS FERNANDO "EL INGENIERO" SÁNCHEZ ARELLANO JOAQUIN "EL CHAPO" GUZMAN LOERA JUAREZ CARTEL EST. 1970s CURRENT LEADER CURRENT LEADER TYPES OF MURDERS EST. 1970s 89% - EXECUTION-STYLE KILLINGS RIVALS• • ALLIES Notable Facts: 9% - RIVAL GANG CLASHES Once one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico, the Tijuana Cartel has recently been confined to operations in Tijuana alone. It is now only a shell of what it used to be. LOS ZETAS BELTRÁN-LEYVA CARTEL JUÁREZ CARTEL TIJUANA CARTEL SINALDA CARTEL 2% - CLASHES WITH THE SECURITY FORCES LA FAMILIA CARTEL • RIVALS. C ALLIES GULF CARTEL LOS ZETAS BELTRÁN-LEYVA CARTEL LA FAMILIA Recent Setbacks: SINALDA CARTEL TIJUANA CARTEL The Tijuana Cartel's leader and main enforcer, Ramon Arellano Felix, was killed in 2002 in a gunfight in Mazatlan. JORGE EDUARDO COSTILLA SÁNCHEZ CURRENT LEADER VICENTE CARRILLO FUENTES CURRENT LEADER Notable Facts: BELTRAN-LEYVA CARTEL Prior to their split, Los Zetas acted as the enforcement arm of the Gulf Cartel. Since their split Los Zetas has increased in power, leaving the once powerful Gulf Cartel strained for control of its territory. Notable Facts: The Juarez Cartel's main focus has been on maintaining control of the coveted drug trade route in Ciudad Juarez, just opposite the Texas city of El Paso. But since 2007, the Juarez Cartel has been viciously battling the Sinaloa Cartel for this valuable territory. The data for this map, supplied by the Reforma newspaper, places the total number of drug-related murders at 26,175 BETWEEN DECEMBER, 2006, AND NOVEMBER, 2010 EST. 2008 Recent Setbacks: Former allies with Los Zetas, the Gulf Cartel has been a primary target of Mexican law enforcement since the two split. The Mexican government estimates the number to be RIVALS• CALLIES Recent Setbacks: 34,612 BETWEEN DECEMBER, 2006, TO JANUARY, 2011. The Juarez cartel's founder, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, died in 1997 while undergoing plastic surgery. The cartel has since weakened as they relied on Fuentes's ties to corrupt LOS NEGROS JUÁREZ CARTEL SINALDA CARTEL TIJUANA CARTEL DEATHS BY STATE, DECEMBER, 2006, TO NOVEMBER, 2010 GULF CARTEL LA FAMILIA CARTEL LOS ZETAS government officials. LA FAMILIA MICHOACANA Notable Facts: 0-50 51-150 151-500 501-1,000 1,000-2,000 2.000+ The La Familia Cartel operates under the guise of a religious organization that promotes social justice. In reality, the cartel is involved in brutal violence, often referring to their beheadings as "divine justice." EST. 1980s HECTOR BELTRAN LEVYA LOS ZETAS CURRENT LEADER Notable Facts: Consisting of many ex-federal, state, and local police, the Los Zetas Cartel is known as perhaps the most violent and well-trained cartel in Mexico. Members are often uniformed as federal Notable Facts: EST. 1999 ORIVALS• • ALLIES The Beltran-Leyva cartel was formed following the arrest of Alfredo Beltran and the subsequent assassination of the son of the Sinaloan cartel's leader, Joaquin Guzman-perpetrated by the other three brothers. JUÁREZ CARTEL LOS ZETAS BELTRÁN-LEYVA CARTEL GULF CARTEL SINALOA CARTEL Recent Setbacks: police and are known to operate at a higher tactical degree than the local authorities. RIVALS • • ALLIES • The La Familia Cartel's TIJUANA CARTEL Recent Setbacks: BELTRAN-LEYVA CARTEL JUÁREZ CARTEL TIJUANA CARTEL leader, Nazario Moreno González, was killed on December 10, 2010 GULF CARTEL In the last three years, three of the four Beltran Leyva Brothers who ran the operation have either been killed or arrested; Hector is the only one still at large. Another notable figure in the organization, Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez Villareal, formed a rival faction due to disputes over operation tactics. Villaral was arrested in August, 2010. Recent Setbacks: SINALOA CARTEL LA FAMILIA CARTEL Many of its original 31 core members have been killed or arrested, and since replaced with younger, less-trained members. JOSE "EL CHANGO" MENDEZ VARGAS CURRENT LEADER HERIBERTO "EL LAZCA" LAZCANO SOURCES: BBC.co.UK, THEMONITOR.COM. NPR.ORG. SANDIEGO.EDU A COLLABORATION BETWEEN GOOD AND COLUMN FIVE CURRENT LEADER