THE REACH OF MEXICAN DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS

Which Cartels and Where they Dominate the World Drug Market

Borderland Beat (Translated from Zeta)
November 12, 2017

MEXICO CITY, Sin Embargo -- The narco-empire built by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán in the Sinaloa Cartel continues to be the most powerful internationally among its Mexican competitors, according to the latest report of the Mexican prosecutor's office. which detected nine major criminal organizations in the country.

According to official data, these gangs carry cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and chemical precursors to 51 countries on five continents, through alliances with criminals based in Colombia, Italy and some African countries, among others.

The Sinaloa Cartel, despite the imprisonment of its leader, continues to have the greatest impact, with influence or presence in 43 states, according to the report of the Attorney Generals Office (PGR, prosecutor's office), published by El Universal.

For its part, Los Zetas, an organization made up mainly of former members of the military, ranks second in the list, with a presence in 20 countries. The infamous podium is completed by the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel, which is highlighted as the one with the greatest financial resources and its rapid growth.

In its October report, the DEA (US anti-narcotics agency) detailed the activity of six cartels: de Juarez, del Golfo, Sinaloa, Jalisco Nueva Generación, Beltrán Leyva and Los Zetas. However, the PGR has three other organizations in its sights: the Tijuana Cartel, the Knights Templar and the Michoacán Family.

The DEA had singled out these Mexican organizations as the biggest criminal drug threat to the United States. "There is no other group that is currently positioned to challenge them," the agency emphasized, highlighting the weight of the Sinaloa Cartel and the growing preponderance of the New Generation Cartel of Jalisco.

The list of countries in which each cartel has presence or influence:

CÁRTEL DE SINALOA:
Canada, United States, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile. In addition to Uruguay, Argentina, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Cape Verde, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, West Africa, Sudan, United Kingdom, Holland, Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, Arab Emirates, India, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia.

THE ZETAS:
United States, Guatemala, Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Sierra Leone, West Africa, Spain, Italy, Russia, United Arab Emirates, China and Japan.

JALISCO NEW GENERATION CÁRTEL:
United States, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, Colombia, Bolivia, West Africa, India, China and Japan.

MICHOACAN FAMILY:
Canada, United States, Ecuador, Spain, Bulgaria, Holland, India and China.

CÁRTEL DEL GOLFO:
United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Ecuador and Italy.

CÁRTEL DE TIJUANA:
United States, Colombia, Peru and Argentina.

TEMPLAR KNIGHTS:
Canada, the United States and China.

CÁRTEL DE JUÁREZ:
United States, Colombia and Peru.