Factions include: Los Escorpiones (the Scorpions), Los Ciclones (the Cyclones), Los Rojos, Los Metros, and Las Panteras (the Panthers)
Description
Cártel del Golfo (CDG) is one of the largest organized crime groups operating in the north of Mexico and is comprised of different factions whose primary aim is securing their drug and weapons trafficking business between Mexico and the U.S. They frequently engage in activities against rival organized crime groups and Mexican security forces. Alliances and infighting between the factions are common with each vying for control over several criminal economies, primarily in the state of Tamaulipas along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The primary activities conducted by the CDG are drug trafficking, illicit firearms trafficking, human trafficking, facilitation of illegal immigration, extortion, contract killing, and operational protection and security. In March 2023, four American citizens were kidnapped by members of the CDG faction group, los Escorpiones, as they were driving to a medical procedure in Matamoros, Mexico from Texas. Two individuals were killed.
La Familia Michoacana
Also known as: The Michoacán Family, La Familia
Factions include: Los Caballeros Templarios (Knights Templar), La Nueva Familia Michoacana (also known as the New Michoacán Family; LNFM)
Description
La Familia Michoacana (LFM) is a criminal organization based in Michoacán state, Mexico, that follows a quasi-Christian fundamentalist ideology which focuses on their "divine right" to carry out activities. LFM and its successor groups see themselves as protectors and "defenders of the people" against other organized crime groups operating in the region, despite themselves being a source of instability and violence in the regions where they operate. LFM has engaged in fighting with other organized crime groups and civilians in an effort to maintain regional control. To present day, ongoing conflicts involving LFM have generated terror among the population and has displaced residents through indiscriminate violence. In December 2023, LFM kidnapped 14 residents in Texcaltitlán, demanding local residents hand over the leaders of an uprising that killed ten of LFM's gunmen.
La Mara Salvatrucha
Also known as: MS-13
Description
La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) is a transnational criminal organization primarily operating out of El Salvador, with a significant presence in Honduras, Guatemala, and the United States. In El Salvador, MS-13 has evolved from its origins as a street gang into a criminal-economic-military-political power. MS-13 has engaged in widespread, targeted killings of law enforcement and other state officials; the indiscriminate killings of civilians; have used violence to shut down or seize control of vital public services; have established military-style training camps for its members; and have obtained military weapons in order to instill terror and enforce their will on the state and populace. In 2019 in El Salvador, MS-13 put a fake body in an abandoned car to lure police officers into a car-bomb attack, wounding two officers. In March 2022, El Salvador declared a state of emergency after MS-13 and other entities went on a killing spree resulting in a total of 87 homicides in 72 hours.
Cártel de Sinaloa
Also known as: CDS, Sinaloa Cartel, La Federación (The Federation), Sinaloa Organized Crime Group, Organización del Pacífico (The Pacific Cartel), Organización Guzman-Loera (The Guzman-Loera Organization)
Factions include: Cártel de Sinaloa-Mayo Zambada (also known as Sinaloa Cartel-Mayo Zambada; CDS-MZ; La Mayiza; Los del Mayo; Los Mayitos), and Cártel de Sinaloa-Menores (also known as CDS-Menores, Sinaloa Cartel-Minors, Los Chapitos, Los Chapiza)
Description
Cártel de Sinaloa is one of the oldest criminal organizations in Mexico, and one of the most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations in the world. Based in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, Cártel de Sinaloa operates in at least 47 countries around the world, including Canada. The cartel uses coercion, bribery, intimidation, and violence to expand its territory and establish political control in its areas of operation. Cártel de Sinaloa has links to multiple known terrorist entities, including the National Liberation Army (ELN), the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and Iran-backed Hezbollah. In March 2024, Cártel de Sinaloa, through one of its factions, took 66 people including 18 children, hostage in Mexico's Culiacán municipality as retribution. As of 2021, Cártel de Sinaloa has used drones for deadly aerial attacks in Northern Mexico and surrounding areas.
Cárteles Unidos
Also known as: The United Cartels, CU
Factions include: Cartel del Abuelo (also known as Cartel Tepalcatepec), Los Viagras, Los Caballeros Templarios (Knights Templar), La Nueva Familia Michoacana (also known as The New Michoacán Family; LNFM), La Familia Michoacana (also known as The Michoacán Family; La Familia), Los Blanco De Troya (White Trojans)
Description
Cárteles Unidos (CU) is an alliance between a number of Mexican criminal groups to combat Jalisco New Generation Cártel (CJNG)'s entrance into the Michoacán state. The current incarnation of the CU consists of Cartel del Abuelo (a.k.a. Cartel Tepalcatepec), Los Viagras, Los Caballeros Templarios and Los Blanco de Troya. The strategic goals of the entity include protecting its influence over the Michoacán state, as well as keeping control of drug trafficking routes and its share in local illicit economies including drug production and the extortion of ranchers, and avocado and lime producers. The CU furthers its goals by destabilizing their region of operation. It does so through the use of violence, inflicting terror onto the local population, in order to gain and maintain control.
Since the start of their conflict with CJNG in 2019, the entity has used various displays of military might, violence, hostage taking, extortion, seizing land, destruction of public infrastructure, and attacks against local law enforcement to destabilize the area, intimidate the public, and assert their dominance to facilitate their activities. In September 2020, CU operatives drove military tanks through the town of Bonifacio Moreno in Aguililla and recorded themselves heavily armed, showing off how they rode in a war tank through the streets, warning CJNG that this territory belonged to them. In 2021, there were reports that the entity used drones to drop gunpower bombs over the region, wounding two members of the Michoacán state police force. In December 2024, two soldiers were killed and five others were injured from a landmine explosion, after CU used dismembered bodies to lure the soldiers to where the landmine was set.
Tren de Aragua
Also known as: TdA, Los Gollegos
Description
Tren de Aragua is a transnational criminal organization that originated out of prisons in Northern Venezuela. While Venezuela remains their stronghold, Tren de Aragua has solidified their presence in Colombia, Peru and Chile, with members also located in Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, and the United States. Tren de Aragua uses crime, violence, and intimidation to gain control in new territories. It has used intimidation and corruption to influence local government institutions with the purpose of expanding their territory and increasing illicit activities.
Tren de Aragua's activities include extortion, kidnapping, drug trafficking, contract killings, car theft, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, and hostage taking. As of 2024, Tren de Aragua has been using car bombs and other explosives in their attacks. In June 2024, multiple New York City Police Department police officers were shot or assaulted by Tren de Aragua members.
Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación
Also known as: Jalisco Cartel New Generation, CJNG
Description
Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) is a transnational criminal organization notorious for its extreme and brazen use of violence as a tool to intimidate and assert its authority. CJNG maintains its stronghold in the western states of Mexico including Jalisco, but its operations extend throughout the country. CJNG is known for their innovative use of rigging drones to drop explosives, a violent tactic adopted from insurgent groups. CJNG's use of armed drones and other tactics, such as public executions and kidnappings, against communities go beyond intimidation, as they seek to instill terror and depopulate communities to facilitate their takeover of territories and routes.
CJNG has links to known terrorist entities, including the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The primary activities conducted by CJNG include drug dealing, prostitution, extortion, kidnapping, and assassination. In January 2025, the Toronto Police Service seized 835kg of cocaine linked to CJNG, marking the largest drug haul in Toronto's history.
