Drug cartel

The term drug cartel is used to describe a group who makes, distributes and sells illegal drugs on a national level. Drug cartels are often doing so across multiple countries. Mostly, the cartels in areas like Mexico and South America bring drugs to North America.

The basic structure of a drug cartel is the following:^[1][2]

• Drug Lords: The highest position in a drug cartel. They are responsible for supervising the drug industry, appointing leaders, making alliances with rival groups, and planning high profile murders.
• Lieutenants: The second highest position in a drug cartel. They are typically allowed to carry out low-profile murders without permission from their bosses. They are also responsible for supervising the hitmen below them.
• Hitmen: These members are armed. They are responsible for carrying out assassinations, kidnappings, and theft. They are also responsible for defending their turf from rival groups and the military.
• Falcons: Considered the "eyes and ears" of the cartel. Falcons are typically the lowest rank of drug cartel members. They are scouts, responsible for reporting activities of the police, military, and rival groups and recruiting new members.

There are other members in drug cartels, typically those who are drug planters and suppliers. They are critical parts of a drug cartels operation. They are technically not considered part of the logistics in drug cartels.

The best known example of drug cartels are the Mexican cartels (also known in Mexico as: la Mafia (the mafia or the mob), La Maña (the skill / the bad manners).^[3] They are a criminal organizations that are fought against the Mexican government in the Mexican War on Drugs.^[4]

In 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice found 74% of firearms used by cartels in Mexico came from the United States.^[5]

1. ↑ Bowden, Charles (Feb 6, 2011). "El sicario, un documental proscrito en México (1)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2016-04-11.
2. ↑ Bowden, Charles F; axellmx1 (Feb 6, 2011). "El sicario, un documental proscrito en México (2)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2016-06-30.
3. ↑ "Controla 'La Maña' a Reynosa, Tamaulipas". Terra Noticias. 2 March 2009. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
4. ↑ Guerrero Gutiérrez, Eduardo. "At the root of the violence" (PDF). Nexos. Retrieved 9 October 2011.^{[permanent dead link]}
5. ↑ "Sheinbaum usará informe de armas de EU en negociaciones con Trump". www.proceso.com.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-02-03.