3/13/09

Mexican Drug Cartels (DTOs-Drug Trafficker Organization)

Seven Cartels:
Gulf, Sinaloa, Tijuana, Juarez, Colima, Oaxaca, Valencia

Two Major Combined Cartels

1. Tijuana and Gulf
2. “The Federation” aka “The Golden Triangle” (Sinaloa, Juarez, Valencia)

Gulf Leadership – Aligned with Zetas

• Osiel Cardenas Guillen

Tijuana Leadership
• Francisco Javier Arellanos Felix
• Francisco Rafael Arellanos Felix
• Ismael Higuera Guerrero
• Gilberto Higuera Guerrero
• Operates in Baja (San Diego)

Sinaloa Leadership
• Hector Palma Salazar
• Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman Loera (billionaire)
• Avila Beltran Leyva (Peruvian cocaine)
• Arturo Beltran Leyva
• Alfredo Beltran Leyva
• Ignacio Coronel Villareal
• Juan Jose Esparragoza Moreno
• Ismael Zambada Garcia
• Operates in NW Mexico (impacts California, Arizona, NM)
• Controls most migrant smuggling into AZ

Juarez Leadership
• Vicente Carrillo Fuentes
• Amado Carrillo Fuentes
• Arturo Hernasez (hitman)
• Operates Ciudad Juarez (El Paso and NM)
• Produce meth and “cheese” (Mex heroin and cold medicine

Valencia Cartel
• Luis and Armando Valencia
• Operates out of Michoacan, Colima-west coast of Mex

Colima Cartel aka Amezcua Contreras

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• Jose de Jesus Amezcua Contreras

• Luis Amezcua Contreras
• Methamphetamine Kings
• Operates out of western Mex.

Oaxaca Cartel
• Pedro Diaz Parada
• Operates southern Mex (Oaxaca and Chiapas)
• Marijuana

Enforcement Gangs (sicarios) est. at 100,000 (extremely brutal)

(vs. 130,000 in Mex Army)
Paramilitary: consist of former Mexican military and law enforcement, MS-13 (San
Salvador) and Kaibiles (Guatamalan) gang members

• Zetas (Gulf Cartel)

• Mateo Diaz Lopez (leader)
• Heriberto Lazcano (leader)
• Jaime “el Hummer” Gonzalez Duran (founder)
• Assassins, traffic in arms, kidnapping, collect payments, money
laundering, intimidation and corruption of gov’t officials
• Very sophisticated in terms of weapons and strategy
• Control trafficking along eastern half of US/Mexico Border
• Dallas, Houston

• Negros and Pelones (Sinaloa Cartel)

• Edgar “La Barbie” Valdes Villareal (head of Negroes)
• Phoenix

• La Familia (Michoacan based) and trained by the Zetas

Mexican Govt Response

• In last two years, govt deployed 50,000 troops and federal police throughout
country to combat
• Create national database to exchange info
• Extradition to US
• Improve social and economic base so people won’t turn to drug trafficking to
earn money

US Assistance ($30-40 million year until 2008)

• Provides counternarcotics assistance to disrupt drug-trafficking including
precursor chemicals, weapons trafficking, illicit financial activities and currency
smuggling and human trafficking

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• Reduce demand for drugs through education, treatment and disrupting supply
• Call for appropriate funding to curb supply and demand

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Current Situation:
Turf War occurring in 600-mile stretch of border between Juarez/El Paso and Nuevo
Laredo between the Gulf and The Federation cartels. U.S. authorities say the region is
the most important launching pad for contraband entering the U.S.
• About 7,000 people killed in 2008 (1,000 killed in Jan. alone)
• Over 560 kidnappings in Phoenix from 2007-2008 (kidnapping capital of U.S.)
and killings in Atlanta (hub for East Coast) and Birmingham, AL
• 17,000 Mex troops deserted in 2008 to join cartels-they pay better

Juarez:
• 1,800 killed in 2008
• Targeting federal police
• Use people as human shields
• 5,000 troops deployed to police city this month (martial law)
• Possible Future Outcome: extreme destabilization of Mexico creating mass
refugees into U.S.
• Gov of TX asking for 1,000 troops for border
• AZ beefing up state funds to handle related violence

New Mexico
• Albuquerque important hub because I-25 and I-40 intersect
• Sen Udall asked Obama for funds to quell border violence
• Sen. Bingaman asked Napolitano to stem flow of cash and weapons from U.S. to
Mexico
• Obama has a “wait and see” approach.

U.S. Demand for Drugs (Demand Side)

• Nephilim death wish and culture embedded in the unconscious of the people,
especially the youth
• Per Heroin Inc, youth start with pharma drugs (prescription pills in family
medicine cabinet). They start with Oxycontin and graduate to heroin because
heroin is cheaper and easier to get.
• Easier to get heroin than cigarettes.
• Purity of current heroin results in more overdoses.

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