Back كارتل سينالوا Arabic Cártel de Sinaloa AST Синалоански картел Bulgarian Càrtel de Sinaloa Catalan Sinaloa (kartel) Czech Sinaloa-kartellet Danish Sinaloa-Kartell German Καρτέλ Σιναλόα Greek Cártel de Sinaloa Spanish Sinaloa kartell Estonian

Sinaloa Cartel

Sinaloa Cartel
Cártel de Sinaloa
  Sinaloa Cartel
in Mexico
Founded1987 (1987)
FoundersJoaquín Guzmán Loera, Ismael Zambada García, Héctor Palma Salazar, Juan José Esparragoza Moreno
Named afterSinaloa, Mexico
Founding locationCuliacán, Sinaloa, México
Years active1987–present[1]
Territory
List of areas
Leader(s)Ismael Zambada García, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, Joaquín Guzmán López
AlliesSee section below

The Sinaloa Cartel (Spanish: Cártel de Sinaloa, CDS, after the native Sinaloa region), also known as the Guzmán-Zambada Organization, the Federation, the Blood Alliance,[4][5][6] or the Pacific Cartel,[7] is a large, international organized crime syndicate based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico[8] that specializes in illegal drug trafficking and money laundering.

The cartel's history is marked by evolution from a small crime syndicate to one of the most powerful and violent drug trafficking organizations in the world. Founded in the late 1960s by Pedro Avilés Pérez in Sinaloa, the cartel initially focused on smuggling marijuana to the US. Pérez is credited with pioneering the use of aircraft for drug smuggling, laying the groundwork for large-scale trafficking operations. His organization was a training ground for the second generation of Sinaloan traffickers. The Guadalajara Cartel was co-founded by Félix Gallardo between 1978 and 1980, marking the next phase in the cartel's history.[9][10][11] Under Gallardo's leadership, the cartel controlled much of Mexico's drug trafficking corridors along the US border throughout the 1980s. Following Gallardo's arrest in 1989, the cartel splintered into smaller organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the Sinaloa Cartel, under the leadership of figures like Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, expanded its operations significantly, engaging in brutal conflicts with rival cartels and the Mexican government. The cartel diversified its drug portfolio to include cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, further solidifying its position as a dominant force in the drug trade. Despite numerous arrests and seizures by law enforcement, the cartel has continued to operate, often employing sophisticated smuggling techniques, including tunnels under the US-Mexico border. It has operations in many world regions but primarily in the Mexican states of Sinaloa, Baja California, Durango, Sonora, and Chihuahua.[4][12] and presence in other regions in Latin America, as well as cities across the U.S.[13][14] The United States Intelligence Community considers the cartel to be the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world, perhaps more influential than Pablo Escobar's Medellín Cartel of Colombia during its prime.[15][16] According to the National Drug Intelligence Center and other sources within the U.S. the Sinaloa Cartel is primarily involved in the distribution of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl, cannabis and MDMA.[17]

As of 2023, the cartel remains Mexico's most dominant drug cartel.[15][18] After the arrest of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and his son Ovidio Guzmán López in 2016 and 2023 respectively, the cartel is headed by old-school leader Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada[19] and Guzmán's other sons, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán and Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar.[20][21] The cartel has had a significant impact on the War on Drugs, both international and local politics, as well as in popular culture. Its influence extends beyond Mexico, with operations in the United States, Latin America, and as far as the Philippines. Despite the arrest of key leaders, the cartel remains a significant player in international drug trafficking, driven by demand for narcotics in the US and around the world.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Beith 2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Mexican drug cartel infiltrates Australia". ABC. 15 September 2010. Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. ^ Welch, Dylan (2 January 2011). "Police fear spread of Mexican drug cartel violence". The Age. Melbourne. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b Freeman, Laurie. State of Siege:Drug-Related Violence and Corruption in Mexico (PDF). Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2006.
  5. ^ "El cártel de Sinaloa, una alianza de sangre". El Universal (in Spanish). 30 July 2010. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  6. ^ Rama, Anahi (7 April 2008). "Mexico blames Gulf cartel for surge in drug murders". Reuters. Archived from the original on 22 April 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2008.
  7. ^ The lattermost after the coast of Mexico from which it originated.
  8. ^ Beittel, June S. (7 June 2022). "Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations" (PDF). Congressional Research Service.
  9. ^ "Sinaloa Cartel". Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  10. ^ "Why are the Sinaloa Cartel the World's Most Powerful Gangsters?". International Business Times UK. 16 September 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference LastNarco was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Organized was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference InSightChicago was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Pelcastre, Julieta (12 May 2021). "Mexican Narcotrafficking Cartels Expand their Control in Colombia". Diálogo Americas. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Sinaloa Cartel". InSight Crime. 4 May 2021. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  16. ^ Mallory, Stephen L (2007). Understanding Organized Crime. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-7637-4108-2.
  17. ^ Chokshi, Niraj (26 February 2014). "Where 7 Mexican drug cartels are active within the U.S." The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  18. ^ "Why the Jalisco Cartel Does Not Dominate Mexico's Criminal Landscape". 11 June 2020. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  19. ^ "Mexico's Sinaloa gang grows empire, defies crackdown". Reuters. 19 January 2011. Archived from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  20. ^ Tracking Mexico's Cartels in 2018 Archived 5 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Scott Stewart, Stratfor Tactical Analysis. 1 February 2018.
  21. ^ Verza, Maria; Sherman, Christopher (5 January 2022). "Mexico nabs son of drug lord 'El Chapo' before Biden visit". Associated Press. Retrieved 5 January 2022.

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