The Challenges of Quantifying Cartel Wealth The very nature of criminal organizations like the Cartel del Noreste presents a significant hurdle when trying to estimate their financial strength. Operating outside the bounds of law and regulation, these groups are inherently secretive. Financial records, the bedrock of any legitimate assessment, are conspicuously absent. Their transactions are … Read more
A Family Bonded by Darkness: Roots of the Juarez Cartel Family Foundations To understand Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes, one must first understand the family that shaped him. The Carrillo Fuentes family, particularly through the leadership of his brother, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, established themselves as key players in the drug trafficking world. Amado, known as “The Lord … Read more
Origins and Formation Early Days The seeds of the Cali Cartel were sown in the fertile ground of Colombia’s burgeoning drug trade during the late 1970s and early 1980s. While cocaine production was already taking off, the early players lacked the organizational skills and ruthless efficiency that would define the Cali Cartel. The city of … Read more
Early Life and Ascent to Power Gallardo’s story begins not in the glare of the spotlight, but in the obscurity of rural Sinaloa, Mexico. His early life, shrouded in a haze of rumour and speculation, provides little concrete information. What is known is that he wasn’t born into wealth; rather, he carved his path to … Read more
Introduction The name Sandra Avila Beltran instantly conjures images of power, danger, and the ruthless world of drug trafficking. Known as “La Reina del Pacífico,” or “The Queen of the Pacific,” Avila Beltran carved a notorious path through the Mexican drug underworld, becoming a legendary figure. However, behind this imposing persona lies a family, and … Read more
