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 …

Mar 19, 2025 · Drug cartel, an illicit consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition and control the production and distribution of illegal drugs. Drug cartels are extremely well-organized, well-financed, efficient, and ruthless.

Feb 21, 2025 · Mexican drug cartels are leading suppliers of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other illicit narcotics to the United States. The cartels and the drug trade fuel rampant...

By 2007, Mexican drug cartels controlled 90% of the cocaine entering the United States. [36][37] Arrests of key cartel leaders, particularly in the Tijuana and Gulf cartels, have led to increasing drug violence as cartels fight for control of the trafficking routes into the United States. [38][39][40]

Oct 24, 2019 · Mexico's brutal drug war claims thousands of lives every year, as powerful trafficking groups battle it out for territory and influence.

The latest news and updates on drug cartels from The Associated Press, the definitive source for independent journalism from every corner of the globe.

Sep 19, 2024 · To understand why the Mexican cartels are so powerful, we must explore the historical roots of these organizations, the role of the Mexican government, the impact of the U.S. demand for drugs, and the socioeconomic conditions that allowed the cartels to thrive.

Mar 31, 2025 · Sinaloa cartel, international crime organization that is among the most-powerful drug-trafficking syndicates in the world. It is based in Culiacán, Sinaloa state, Mexico. Its origins can be traced to the Guadalajara cartel, which was one of Mexico’s largest crime organizations in the early 1980s.

Apr 1, 2025 · The cartel, which the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says has some 19,000 in its ranks, developed rapidly into an extremely violent and capable force after it split from the Sinaloa cartel ...

A drug cartel is any criminal organization with the intention of supplying drug trafficking operations, and can range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises with billions of dollars in annual profits.