Mexico’s most-wanted: A guide to the drug cartels
More than 200,000 people have been killed or have disappeared since Mexico’s government declared war on organised crime in December 2006.
The military offensive has led to the destruction of some drug gangs, splits within others and the emergence of new groups.
With widespread corruption and impunity exacerbating Mexico’s problems, there is no end in sight to the violence.
Which are the most powerful cartels today? And who is behind them?
The Sinaloa cartel
Founded in the late 1980s, the Sinaloa cartel headed by Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has long been considered Mexico’s most powerful criminal organisation.
Having outfought several rival groups, the Sinaloa cartel dominates much of north-west Mexico and makes billions of dollars from trafficking illicit narcotics to the United States, Europe and Asia.
However, the cartel’s future is uncertain after Guzmán was recaptured in 2016 following two daring prison breaks. He was extradited to the US in January and now awaits trial in New York…
The Tequila Files 