From former federal police agent to godfather of Mexican drug cartel

The National Action Party (PAN) that seized power in Mexico in 2006 arrested or killed 25 out of 32 cartel leaders over five years. However, the cartels did not collapse but instead divided into new gangs. Power struggles between the new leaders led to regional conflict.

The godfather of the Mexican drug cartel was Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, a former Mexican Federal Judicial Police agent. He continually increased his power while coping with Colombian cartels in the border area in the 1980s. However, he hid out in his hometown with his family as his partner had been arrested for murdering a police officer in 1985.

He was ostensibly retired but still remained as the cartel mastermind. His henchmen managed areas assigned by Gallardo and shared their income with him. The leaders and their subordinates of those areas have grown into the major cartels of today; namely, Tijuana Cartel, Juárez Cartel, Sonora Cartel, Gulf Cartel, and Sinaloa Cartel.

According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), nine cartels are active these days. They include Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco Nueva Generacion, Los Zetas, Gulf Cartel, Tijuana Cartel, Juárez Cartel, La Familia Michoacana, and the Knights Templar Cartel. Other than these major cartels, there are 45 regional gangs whose jobs are abduction, robbery, and smuggling.

The Mexican PGR (Procuraduría General de la República) recently announced that new cartels are emerging such as Estado Cartel, Cartel de los Precursores Quimicos, Office Cartel, Cartel Gente Nueva del Sur, and Cartel del Aeropuerto.

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