By Itzli
Earlier this week I wrote some thoughts about the recent designation of six Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorists Organizations by the United States. In of itself the article wasn’t great but I wanted to do it as a leadup to this article, with the main point I wanted to make in it that while the word cartel isn’t really accurate it is used in place of drug trafficking organization, which is a group that I define as being involved in one or more drug related functions: cultivation, importation, production, distribution, and exportation. The other piece of the article was to provide clarification on the scale of these six groups as the press release was inconsistent in detailing this information and to point out that CU was presented differently from the other cartels. With all this in mind it is quite clear that these six cartels are not on equal footing when it comes to scale and areas of operation.
About ten years ago, with the input of several individuals from the forum, I created a list of then active Mexican cartels with their major subgroups and notable cartel members. Around this same time I started using a three tiered classification system for cartels in my research but never came up with formal names or definitions. I still feel the concept is relevant so here’s where my mind has been at:
Major Cartels- the big cartels that conduct all five drug related functions and operate over a vast area of Mexico.
Minor Cartels- smaller cartels that may not be involved in all five drug related functions and operate in only a few states in Mexico.
Demi Cartels- very small groups that operate at a localized level; they generally started as part of a larger cartel and either splintered off or continued on their own with the collapse of their parent cartel.
In doing research for the article that will follow this one it seems that the Mexican government has come up with something similar; a map from September 2024 specifies “Grupo Criminal Trasnacional Cártel” and “Cárteles Regionales”. Merging this with my work, we can start using the term Transnational Cartels with major cartels and Regional Cartels with minor cartels.
As for Demi Cartels, the Mexican government places some groups I would consider Demi Cartels as Regional Cartels and doesn’t touch on a number of groups that I would list. We’ll discuss this more next time but for now I want to say that I feel the Demi Cartel concept needs to be included but there definitely isn’t always a clear cut line between a small drug trafficking organization and what could be considered a street gang.
Let’s wrap this up by taking another look at the cartels that the United States government listed as FTOs. In my concept both the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG would be considered Transnational/Major Cartels and it should be noted that the Mexican government listed them as such in September. Furthermore, I consider the CDN, LNFM, and CDG as Regional/Minor Cartels and the Mexican government did so as well. As for CU, the Mexican government did not include it in the September map and in my concept the CU should not be listed as it would be considered an alliance of multiple Demi Cartels
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The map shows a blue dot over Guerrero, but a lighter shade of blue than the colors identified in the inset. Confusing.
ReplyDeleteInteresting nonetheless!
Nice attention to detail! What I posted isn't the Mexican government map, I modified it to fit my article. In the original five other cartels are marked so the blue dot you see in Guerrero is a regional cartel that I did not include for now but will discuss next article.
DeleteItzil it really sucks to be color blind 😕 these types of maps I could never see. I can't even make steak cus I can't see if the middle is pink or red or whatever lol
DeleteSorry to hear that and I agree it's not a great map, when I found it it took me a bit to make sense of it all, even not being color blind the choice of using two shades of yellow dots is brutal. The Mexican government definitely needs a better graphic designer.
DeleteWhy yall got CJ up in chihuas? Línea boys only buy work… aquí en delicias y su alrededores son puro línea/linces
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ReplyDeleteWe need a clean up ( government) in Guanajuato…. Idk who’s in charge but mf’s shoot random bars, restaurants, and other public places.
ReplyDeleteThus the allegations of government collusion. It certainly seems like the cartels have free reign.
DeleteJuarez has managed to keep a low profile just moving illegals, blow, and clear. Most of the money in Juarez comes from middle man taxing.
ReplyDeleteAgree, while no where near as powerful as they were in the past since the fighting for Ciudad Juarez stopped they have managed to fly under the radar for the most part but like @6:18 said the larger Juarez Cartel/La Linea stretches down into Delicias and my understanding they are spread across Chihuahua in general. I struggle on how to classify them, sometimes I think they are a Demi Cartel but even if they aren't outside of the state of Chihuahua does the large size of the area they operate in make them worthy of being classified a Regional Cartel?
DeleteExactly!!!! They knew how to work and they cared about was that dollar
DeleteI always feel like some of the biggest cartel operators are guys that rarely get talked about, being on people's radar is bad for business, keeping a low profile makes money.
Delete705
DeleteEl Azul being the prime example
Allegedly El Toner right hand man to El Gavilan injured after being attacked in Culiacan.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/NYM8aYGoxeI?si=QwkoePF4Jk1KERvC
😎
If they doing terrorist activities then yes should be labelled as terrorists
ReplyDeleteIf the USA don’t use drones to take out narco caravans all the labels in the world don’t even matter.
ReplyDeleteNone of this matters, El Gavilan is dead.
ReplyDeleteShow me the evidence then
DeleteNot the map I used to know , it’s been terrorized.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised you did not get more shit about how wrong the map is. Stay strong and give a shit about some comments. Saludos
ReplyDeleteI hear you. You would expect that the Mexican government could produce something that we look at and immediately want to correct.
DeleteJust say NO to drugs. It's simple. Be responsible for your actions. That's how you personally boycott the DTO's in your communities. Man up MF.
ReplyDeleteItzli holding it down!
ReplyDeleteHate it or love it..
I think these are accurate classifications.
How would you classify the remaining BLO under isidro sagatario y músico?
As they are definitely trans national but also very localized.
I think you are doing a great job btw.
Nice to see a bb og keeping it going.
Salute 🫡
Great question and we're definitely going to touch on that and more in the next article but you bring up a good point and I need to think about how I define things. So the BLO/Cártel de Guasave/Los Meza Flores I consider a Regional Cartel, I don't see placing them at the same level as CJNG and CDS but yeah I need to work on the definition because a Regional Cartel can operate transnationally so there's a piece missing in defining the concept.
DeleteI believe the term cartel no longer applies in the true meaning of the word.
DeleteSince the fall of the Medellín, Cali and Guadalajara cartels there hasn't existed monolithic organizations that are able to control the flow and price of the product.
There are simply too many competing organizations that grow, manufacture, import, export and distribute the product.
I believe today there only exists two organizations that are even close to being able operate in that capacity those being CDS and CJNG.
After much consideration I believe the term DTO truly is the best classification.
With the DTOs being further broken down into three categories transnational, regional and local.
Absolutely great points. My understanding is that the term cartel was applied to the Medellin organization for two main reasons: the fact that they allegedly controlled 85% of the cocaine market at that time and because it was the early 1980s, Reagan was in office right after cartel and the idea of a cartel was fresh in everyone's mind with all the OPEC issues. But the term sticked, maybe I'm wrong but I doubt most people actually know what a cartel means and it public use the term cartel has became virtually synonymous with drug trafficking organization.
DeleteWhy write the same thing twice.
ReplyDeleteBecause writing it three times would be overdoing it.
DeleteGood tbh I’m glad trump is doing this and labeling them terrorists because they really are! They terrorize the people in the cities they live in. They do some good but does that outweigh all the bad they do? Murder, drug trafficking, the list goes on. I blame all this extra attention as well on the kidnapping of el mayo and the war that broke out as well. Second I respect the fuck out of Claudia sheinbaum because she steps up to Donald trump and doesn’t back down that shit makes me laugh. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I love seeing her respectfully telling him to fuck off!!!!
ReplyDeleteI mean at end of day you can call them whatever you please. But what we call or classify them isn’t important. What’s important is the United States government has classified them as terrorist organizations and that by itself comes with alot more pressure. So call them Girl Scout or Boy Scouts if you like. It doesn’t matter what you or I think or believe. What matters is they are classified as FTO by the most power government in the world.
ReplyDeleteI agree and disagree. In the end how we classify cartels doesn't make a difference in anything beyond research and reporting purposes, government actions are way more important, totally on board with that. As for the FTO designations I have mixed emotions. The State Department makes clear on their website that a FTO "must engage in terrorist activity, as defined in section 212 (a)(3)(B) of the INA (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)),or terrorism, as defined in section 140(d)(2) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. § 2656f(d)(2)), or retain the capability and intent to engage in terrorist activity or terrorism." That's where I was disappointed with the press release, it was so brief that I don't get a sense of why those six organizations are FTOs as opposed to others in Mexico, for instance CSRL. Even that doesn't matter, I agree being classified as a terrorist organization should come with a lot more pressure but until I see more I can't help feel like it's more of a PR move as it may only cover two of the points under the Other Effects of Designation: Heightens public awareness and knowledge of terrorist organizations. Signals to other governments our concern about named organizations.
Delete@3,48. I think you missed the point. The post was about the definition of "Cartels", not the US governments designation of Terrorist Organisations.
Delete"At the end of the day call them what you please, shit will still happen.."
Yeah, no point in exposing lies if it won't stop the inevitable..
Cartel del golfo dominates Tamaulipas and Nuevo León ..CDN is not as powerful as it once was with el Lazca
ReplyDeleteAgree that's the biggest issue I have with the government map, I know I'm biased because I cover CDG so much but it makes no sense to me that you would have CDN dominating Tamaulipas and CDG as having a presence, flip it around and it's fine.
DeleteCdg matamoros a minor cartel or cartel faction with major cartel connections and firepower. Holding its own against metros cdn zve and jaliscos and not just in tamaulipas. Theyre in slp nl zac ver gto and other states.
ReplyDeleteWhat’s the point of this?
ReplyDeleteMy apologies as I'm not quite following your question. Actually I believe you are asking what the point of this article is but I want to make sure that's what you mean before replying. If you would please clarify and I'll be happy to follow up.
DeleteNihilism a thing now..
DeleteYes what’s the point of this article as in what are we trying to articulate?
ReplyDeleteNot my article but seems like author dude getting into the weeds a little bit about a subject that evidently piques his interest, and that he wants to put it out there for any parties that share this interest.
DeletePosting this story on BB is a clever call, because it is a website that specializes in cartels and border news..
In other words, a match made in heaven!
@3.47. Itzli isn't "getting into the weeds", he's trying to coax people out of the weeds by asking a question that should have been asked long ago on here.
DeleteSometimes an article doesn’t have a clear-cut point, it is written for multiple reasons. Originally, I was going to include these thoughts with the FTO thoughts article, but I worried it would make it too long, on the flip side it may have made things too fragmented. So I agree, these articles do get in the weeds because it is getting deep into something that the majority of people will not care about but for some that share an interest it does try to get all of us thinking outside the box and looking at the big picture. I don’t know if any of you were around on the forum but ultimately these two articles are a bit of an experiment trying to recreate the way I used to reply to my own posts to continue a train of thought and build on it. In the end this will all make more sense next week as these two articles are a bit of a bridge, taking the FTO announcement as a starting point to what I will post next week.
Deletesi los carteles son clasificados como terroristas, los policias y agentes de inmigracion o cualquier otra organizacion de estados unidos que trabajen o sean complices de los carteles son en si 'terroristas'. Entonses significa que estados unidos LLA es infriltado por terroristas... saludos
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