Mexican Cartel Business Models and Operations

Howdy from the Texas Mexico border folks. Today, I'll be talking bout the dang Mexican cartels and how they are structured and operate. I'll only cover the general topics from my experiences working in the border security field.

A bit of background here, For about a year, my duties working as an analyst and information gatherer, I spent almost four hours a day reading Mexican news sites and television news channels to gather information on what was going on along to US / Mexico border that could or would affect our sector. I also followed several Twitter feeds from reliable sources in Tamaulipas, Reynosa, Monterrey, and Matamoros, Mexico. As we received information, we would corroborate with other sources and our Mexican liaison unit to verify validity.

The two cartels in our area of operation were the Gulf Cartel (CDG) and the Zetas while keeping an eye on other cartels from neighboring territories to watch for alliances or conflicts.

A very common misconception Americans have about the Mexican Cartels is that they are nothing more than a large group of undisciplined bunch of thugs just looking to sell drugs. Well, nothing could be further from that misconceptions. It is true that many of the lowest ranking members are recruited from the drudges of society. Most of them are hired to do the dirty work and are often drug addicted street thugs working for their next hit. Those are the expendables which are easily replaced and come dime a dozen.

The creepy part of reality here is that most if not all Mexican drug cartels now have a very familiar structure any capitalist would recognize. For starters, one must understand that while some cartel leaders such as Osiel Cardenas Guillen, founder of the Gulf Cartel may has started from humble beginnings as a small time marijuana and heroin dealer, he soon learned from associates that to continue expansion and growth, he must add structure to his organization. Through association, contacts and common sense, his nephew, Juan Garcia Abrego eventually started brokering deals with the Columbians drug manufacturers and took the task of transporting narcotics to the US directly after the Columbians practically lost all their shipment routes in the Caribbean to US law enforcement.

CDG (Gulf Cartel) graffiti marking their territory in Reynosa, MX. about 10 miles from my house. 

Abrego then gained almost 50% of the profits in transport fee profits from the Columbians. Abrego's smuggling business then slowly started to take the form of a modern day corporate entity to support the rapid growth they were experiencing by hiring experts in their fields. From CFOs, CIOs, Vice Presidents, Marketing directors, and in some cases even publicists, right down to the plaza bosses (franchisees), and enforcers, the Gulf Cartel became a juggernaut of drug smuggling and profit.

 Gulf-Zeta Cartel custom embroidered logos on caps just like any other business would have. Note the automatic weapon magazines in background.

Custom embroidered uniforms with the Gulf-Zeta logo.

Other cartels started then their own structuring and eventually challenged the Gulf Cartel. That was the point when the Gulf Cartel hired it's own army, Los Zetas, a former Mexican US trained special forces group that went rouge and joined the dark side for profit and became the most feared organization in Mexico and Central America. Only about two years later, a falling out between the two over the killing of a Gulf Cartel leader, the Zetas broke away from the Gulf Cartel and formed it's own group who the challenged the Gulf Cartel.

Fast forward a few years to about 2002 when the Mexican cartels and some Columbian cartels started brokering deals with other counties to join their manufacturing and smuggling efforts. In many cases, the cartels started recruiting technology experts for communications, engineers for submarine and tunnel construction, counterfeiters, and even social media gurus.

 Gulf Cartel Facebook post used for intimidation and recruiting. Note the gold plated AK weapon.

As mentioned above, the cartels have now recruited and embedded operatives in the US by way of gang members and profiteering US citizens. The map below depicts were some of the major operatives that are conducting cartel business in the US that are only depicted by DEA and does not display local, county, state, or other federal agencies' priority points. My area of operation is depicted by McAllen DO in the southernmost tip of Texas.

Cartel operatives operating in the US.

This map was posted in our office to show the primary sectors of Mexico the various cartel have claimed in the areas of the entire country of Mexico. This cartel territory map changed roughly every six months.

Before I let y'all go, I'll show you some of the known cartel logos and clothing items cartel members use to identify each in the US. You may recognize some of them.

So now you know a little more about the Mexican drug cartels and how they operate. How can the US stop this insanity? Well, no amount of legislation or bigger walls can stop this. There are two main issues here that cannot be fixed with laws or police action.

One: We as Americans demand our rights to narcotics if that is what we choose to do with our lives. As Americans, we will continue to demand our rights to get high if we choose to. Even if we don't agree with what is going on south of our borders or even condemn it, we continue to demand our drugs and as long as we do, Mexico and South America will continue to supply it without regard for the law because profit and gain rule in lands of government corruption. You know that.

Two. Greed and addiction. No matter how much money the cartels make, it will never be enough. No matter how much an addict needs his fix, his perceived need will never satisfy him but only increase. There can be no law created that can fix those issues. Greed and addiction cannot be cured by laws or walls. As it is now, prison sentences don't fix the problem. Permanent brain damage or the risk of death doesn't even scare people out of addiction. No law can change that. You know that.

So, our human rights over death and destruction of innocent people, broken families, ruined lives, societal breakdowns of all kinds will prevail because its our right to get high dammit and they want to get wealthy with no regard of who gets caught in the middle?


Ouch?

Have a great narcotics free, murder free, law breaking free, suffering causing free, family breaking free, arrest free, paranoia free, and self serving free day! Luv y'all.

eModicus