Texas Identifies 7 Mexican Cartels operating in the state

Chivís Martínez for Borderland Beat

Cartels in Texas
Seven Mexican cartels operating in Texas, representing the greatest threat the security of the state. (click chart to enlarge)

Criminal organizations smuggle drugs, people and are involved in the laundering of money,  trafficking of weapons and stolen vehicles. 

The Department of Public Safety Texas (DPS)identifies the Gulf Cartel (CDG), Sinaloa Federation, Juarez Cartel, La Familia Michoacana, the Beltran Leyva cartel,  "Los Zetas" and the Knights Templar (Caballeros Templarios)  operating in its territory. 

The report states that Mexican mafias throughout the United States dominate the business of narcotics and human trafficking.

The analysis was presented by the DPS the Texan Congress after lawmakers requested the government provide a breakdown statistics of incidents on the border with Mexico and the criminal activity that has been recorded since the entry into force Operation Strong Safety (OSS), on 23 July.

The DPS prepared with declassified information board of Texas border security and report relevant incidents in the border, which are published on the website of the corporation for any citizen to consult them.

“The goal of this data-driven, multi-agency operation in high-threat areas for a sustained period of time is to deny Mexican cartels and their associates the ability to move drugs and people into Texas between the ports of entry, as well as reduce the power of these organizations, whose success depends on their ability to operate on both sides of the border,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “

At the request of the Texas Legislature, DPS is providing unclassified, detailed information about the trends that have been developing along the border for some time, as well as the current activity occurring in the OSS area of operation.”

A website is available to the public that highlights "significant, cartel incidents".

Narco Danger 

Texas on June 23 deployed to  its south  border with Mexico, thousand troops.of the Texas  state National Guard.

The action,  aims to help the DPS to combat criminal activity in the region, by air, water and land.

Rick Perry, governor of Texas, said on July 21 that the initiative "is the result of the failure of the federal government to secure the border."

He stressed: "There can be no homeland security without border security and the Texans have paid a heavy price for the failure of the federal government. The action command will stop the crisis, multiplying our efforts to combat criminal cartel activity, trafficking in persons and criminals who threaten the safety of Texas and America."

Perry recalled that from 2008 to now, 203,000 undocumented criminal have been sent to Texas prisons for having committed more than 640,000 offenses in the state, including 3,000 killings and a 8000 sexual offenses.

Perry's office reported that strengthening border yielded immediate results. In the first three weeks of operation, the arrests of illegal immigrants resulted in  36 percent fewer seizures weekly.

The Safety Board, which compiled information throughl September 3, 2014, recognizes that the insecurity of the border with Mexico is the main factor in public vulnerability Texas.

Not specified was an analyzation  of  how each cartel operates.

The number of undocumented immigrants has declined significantly rescued in the state, with deployment on the border of the National Guard. 

With the purpose of evading review road points, coyotes take their victims by off roads and ranches, and often abandon them. .

As an example, the board says Brooks County, near the border with Reynosa, where from 2011 to date have been found remains of 332 humans.

The cartels are big business in human smuggling, as going rates ranging from $2000 up to $20,000.  

The chart below is of 2013, indicating areas of operation of each cartel, Templarios were not considered a factor in 2013. (Click image to enlarge)

 

Sources: Texas DPS-OSS website