Narcotrafico

A Country Held Hostage

Marisa Rojo
Marisa Rojo
Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
12/9/2010

Ninety percent of the cocaine and marijuana Americans have consumed has been linked to 29,000

murders since 2006, when Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared war against drugs. Mexican drug

traffickers known as the Mexican Cartels, traffic an estimated $40 Billion worth of narcotics into the United

States each year. Mexican drug traffic controllers have held a shadow reign on the Mexican government and

people using American military tactics over Mexican citizens, holding them hostage while using bribery to

corrupt the economic and legal system. Using military tactics, learned here in the U.S., leaders of seven major

cartel groups have been able to reach into their government manipulating the system that has become more

accommodating to their purpose, allowing transport of drugs into the United States. Like many successful

empires before them, their strength is now being weakened from the core by the dilution of too many

untrained members and this will inevitably unravel their tightly knit foundation.

The spawning of the Cartel was part of several integral events. During the late 1960’s, the International

Revolutionary Party, known as the PRI and is similar to a Republican party had been in power since 1928, and

already been established as a silent liaison helping with the illegal importation of drugs into the United States.

In the U.S., the stigma associated with recreational drug use lessened while becoming fashionable among

young white Americans as part of their social rebellion. Miguel Angel Feliz Gallardo, who would be later known

as “El Padrino” or “The Godfather”, (but preceded by Pedro Aviles Perez in the 1960’s) worked as a Federal

Police Agent, then as a body guard for a state governor in Sinaloa. Gallardo was known as “The Godfather”

because he was the first to modernize the trade though all regions of Mexico although drug Cartels had

already been implemented by Pedro Perez. (Vicini) Using his military skills, Gallardo was able to establish the

first marijuana and opium trade from Columbia through Mexico and across American borders to feed the

International demand for drugs. Initiating a relationship with Columbian cocaine, cartels drastically increased

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Marisa Rojo
Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
12/9/2010
the amount of drugs that entered the United States. Being the sole proprietor in the early 1970’s, Gallardo

was able to buy protection from police forces throughout Mexico, as his bribes were attractive and paid more

than their own wages. His predesessor, Pedro Perez had established the business of narcotics, but had little

success with establishing a sophisticated expansive regime. It was Gallardo who initiated the idea of creating

separate drug regimes for drug transportation. Gallardo entrusted several families whose moral codes were

similar to his own and most importantly who were unknown to government officials. The operation once again

became a covert system by delegating minor bosses to specific regions as there was less risk he would be

caught. By the late 1980’s, the drug trafficking infrastructure was a ruthless well oiled machine.

Drug founders believed in a tight knit family unity, as they prepared their sons how to transport drugs.

These principles became not only the foundation of how their operations were carried out, but were used

strategically to clearly delineate the difference between a narco family and a traditional family. The new

regional cartels formed strong alliances and helped one another succeed at smuggling drugs through routes.

Many leaders demand its members follow codes of conduct, avoid heavy drinking, drug use, and encourage

the importance of living a clean family life while operating a criminal organization. This kind of thinking and

course of action the cartel uses shows the level of organization cartels have obtained. The propaganda and

teachings on these lessons based on the Christians writings of John Eldredge, have attracted several thousand

Michoacan cartel members as they consider it to be useful for personal improvement, values, ethical and

moral principles of the criminal gang. 'The objective was for the subordinates to avoid drugs, hard drinking and

maintain family unity," the federal police said in a statement. (Wordpress) He also said, ‘The point of training

was "to have better motivational and emotional control over the members,". "The Michoacan Family" has

previously portrayed itself as a local organization protecting its residents from outside drug smugglers, many

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Marisa Rojo
Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
12/9/2010
of whom frequently indulge in drugs or drinking. Famous narco families like the Beltran-Leyva Family and Los

Zetas set an example for their now grown children as to how their families will run the next generation of their

business. The leaders of today have escalated the drug trafficking world into a bloodshed world fought over

territory. These heirs know how implement what they have been educated in by their elders to bring

extortion, murder, and kidnapping to a new level.

For as long as I can remember the Cartels held alliances and held controlled portions of the

government. It was deemed necessary for Cartels to create alliance because some Cartels must move through

enemy territory to move drugs into the United States. Creating alliances between the Northern Coastal and

Southern regimes ultimately helped establish safer routes to their northern border.

As citizens live parallel to the cartel, seedy police alliances were normal. My mother who was in the

communications business would tell me about the strange occurrences. In the early 1990’s, my step-father

contracted with the city of Juarez to sell and install their radios and light bars in brad new police cars, he often

would overhear conversations dealing with narcotic drug trade. Another incidence I remember well, was when

three engineers came from Mexico City to meet with my step father about a project for the US Embassy.

While on the way to meet his colleagues, he received a call that the engineers from Mexico City were

innocently killed in cartel crossfire.

Mexico has been truly lucky with their last two presidencies (National Action Party-PAN, 2000-Present.

President Fox (2000-2006) and President Calderon (2006-Present) shared a vision to establish Mexico as a 1 st

world country. Inspirational graffiti around the City of Juarez promoted open borders and respect upon

entering neighboring countries. This art fills the streets stirring up hope for citizens and the younger

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Marisa Rojo
Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
12/9/2010
generation; our generation. Until these two presidencies had commenced, the country of Mexico had been

ruled under the Republican Party (Institutional Revolutionary Party-PRI, 1928-2000). Between the years of

1960-1970, Gallardo implemented drug routes from Columbia into the United States. He also purchased and

smuggled firearms from the black market and purchased protection from police officers and man power move

narcotics. Gallardo also established himself as the 'Lord of the drug world' and delegated different regions of

Mexico to smaller drug families. The four main regions of Mexico were appointed as the Juarez Cartel which

has remained one of the strongest cartels regions of all time, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Gulf Cartel and the

Tijuana Cartel. Later, some regions were divided once again by two or several different allegiant families

working valiantly night and day smuggling narcotics into the US. By 1975, Gallardo had a fully fledged

operation transporting narcotics from one end of Mexico to another. It has been documented that Leaders of

the cartel families have been known to dig underground tunnels from one side of Mexico into desolate regions

of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona or California. On thanksgiving Day 2010, an extremely sophisticated tunnel had

been dug starting in a Kitchen in Tijuana to San Diego. (Burnet) Growing up in El Paso, I remember hearing that

heroine was smuggled on a clear blue day in the fuel tank of a semi truck. The cartel created a reserve tank

within the fuel tank itself that held just enough gas to drive the truck over into the United States and quickly

unloaded just outside the neighboring city of El Paso, Texas.

Mexican President Calderon has wholeheartedly invaded the narcotic world purging as many

government officials and police officers that have any correlation to the cartel as he can. In 2005, President

Fox ordered the Mexican Military to Juarez, Chihuahua to help protect the citizens of Juarez, and to respond to

rampant criminal activity on the streets, however, Mexican military was no match for the cartels. Many

soldiers were killed and most of whom remained were bribed into recruitment. During the Presidency of

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Marisa Rojo
Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
12/9/2010
Felipe Calderon, his efforts to bring the narcotic drug trade to a halt have been more productive. In 2008 He

ordered 10,000 Mexican troops to ambush the Sinaloa Cartel. In 2010 Calderon stated that the cartels plan

"to replace the government" and "are trying to impose a monopoly by force of arms, and are even trying to

impose their own laws”. (Greyson) Fox’s vision in 2000, was to create open borders and grow Mexico’s

economic status to the same level America and Canada share, however, because of the duration of the PAN

Party before them; their efforts to revive Mexico's economic system have caused a nationwide uproar and

exposed the seriousness of government involvement in the narcotic trade. Many officials have been eluding

their involvement for many years and since many of them have been removed from office or from police

force, nothing has stopped their involvement with the cartels.

Buying protection is one of the main ways the Sinaloa Cartel has been able to expand around Mexico,

since 2001 Gallardo has been able to bribe and corrupt almost every soldier working to keep the city of Juarez,

Chihuahua safe. Gallardo has been witnessed traveling with a caravan of military trucks on his visits to his

marijuana plantation. Many leaders like Gallardo have also become a significant figure in their home towns

buying churches for the town as well as repairing buildings and opening new businesses. For many, they see

his as a “Robin Hood” figure helping the community by creating jobs and supporting belief in religion. In all

actuality, many of his businesses are ways that Gallardo and other leaders of Cartels launder money.

In conversations I have had with local citizens and friends who grew up in the city of El Paso as I did, there is

only one question: When will the killing stop?” Mexico’s declined economic system plays a huge role in the

decision to become associated with narco-trafficers. The cartel pays well and in fact, the cartel can easily pay

two to three times more than a police official or soldiers’ wages. In Arizona in April 2010 when the

immigration law SB 1070 went into effect. Juarez cartel leaders put a one million dollar bounty of Sherriff Joe

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Marisa Rojo
Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
12/9/2010
Arpaio's head and also offered $10,000 to anyone who would like to join the Juarez cartel. The majority of

municipal police officers make an average of 4,000 pesos ($320.00) a month. A new group that has been

formed is called “La Linea” is an armed organization made up of ex-soldiers, police officers and the deranged.

The Juarez Cartel is the only organization that has a crew of military based assassins as well as a female

assassination unit. Twenty to thirty beautiful women between the ages of 18-30 (most being teenagers) are

armed assassins called “sicarios” carrying long and short weapons with them at all times and are trained to kill.

Their main purpose is to seek out members of neighboring cartels, seduce , kill them. Their current target is

the Sinaloa Cartel who is trying to invade on Juarez turf as Juarez borders El Paso, Texas which oddly enough is

the fourt safest city here in the United States. (Mayor) Juarez is now known as the “City of the Dead” and has

become known the most dangerous city in the world. Everyone in ‘La Linea’ is given a specific job that cannot

be changed: extortion, informants, and assassins. Before their victims untimely death however, they torture

them by snipping off fingertips and toes. They will then cut off limbs and let others watch as their counterparts

bleed to death. After killing all victims, they will then decapitate them, cut off their legs and leave their

remains in a public place as a message and warning. This kind of act is more common than many people would

like to admit. In September of 2006, La Familia Michoacán Cartel members tossed five decapitated heads onto

a night club Sol y Sombra in order to send a message to rivals entering their region. The narco message

attached read:

"The Family doesn’t kill for money. It doesn’t kill women. It

doesn’t kill innocent people, only those who deserve to die.

Know that this is divine justice”

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Marisa Rojo
Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
12/9/2010
When I was about 16, my mom told me that around the corner from ‘the taller’ or ‘the shop’ where my step

father’s business was, a car sat by a park I would frequent for three days until the smell of rotting bodies in the

summer heat filled the neighborhood. It was then that officials were sent to investigate and found three

dismembered bodies.

Some members are employed strictly because of their standing connections as government officials

and act as moles. In Juarez, Chihuahua it seems that many of the cartel members caught were part of the now

weakened Juarez Cartel. Much of this is due to the Sinaloa Cartel paying the Mexican armies that now line the

streets of Juarez with enough money to “capture” their rival and local Juarez smugglers. Sadly, displaced

workers citizens are now too falling to the bribery of the Cartels. Mostly by the Sinaloa and Juarez cartel who

are recruit members 24 hours a day and offer cash for kills and keep what they steal. At the moment, the

Sinaloa Cartel has approximately 10,000 footmen who were once were good standing police officials, military

and citizens.

Originally the regions of the cartel were split into four different sections of Mexico, the Gulf Catrel, The

Tijuana Cartel, The Sinaloa Cartel, and the Juarez Cartel. Now with more leaders emerging for profit, different

regions have expanded and subdivided into the following sections: The Juarez Cartel was established in the

late 1970’s by Pablo Acosta Villareal. After Pablo’s death in 1993, the cartel was passed down to his nephew

Amado Carrillo Fuentes, who worked closely with his bother Arturo Carrillo Fuentes and his son, Vicente

Carillo-Leyva. After Amado passed away during plastic surgery complications, a turf war broke out between

the Carrillo Fuentes family and the Munoz Televera Brothers and the Sinaloa Cartel. Brother Arturo rose as

the victor along with his nephew Vicente Carillo-Leyva. In El Paso, Texas and the city of Juarez, Chichuahua,

Vicente Carrillo Leyva remains in control of the cartel and is one of the most powerful drug lords at this time.

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Marisa Rojo
Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
12/9/2010
He since has formed a partnership with his brother Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes Ricardo Garcia Urquiza and have

in recent events created enemies with the Sinaloa cartel.

Pedro Aviles Perez rooted the Sinaloa Cartel in the 1960’s and is regarded as the Godfather and a

pioneer of narco trafficking. At one time, The Sinaloa cartel was known as the Blood Alliance (La Alianza de

Sangre). It had been run by several leaders since with the start of the imprisonment of Hector Luis Palma

known as “El Guero” in June of 1995. While in jail, Joaquin Guzman Loera, took leadership of the Cartel but

escaped from maximum security prison six years later in January of 2001. Alliances of the Sinaloa cartel are

Tijuana Cartel, Los Zetas and the Beltran-Leyva Cartel. At one point the Juarez Cartel did help create passages

into the United states from the northern State of Chihuahua but with The death of Amado Carrillo Fuentes in

1997, however, was the beginning of the decline of the Juárez cartel was at hand.

The Beltran Leyva Cartel worked very closly with the Sinaloa Cartel however due to turf wars into the

Gulf Cartel their alliance was severed. The Leyva Beltran Cartel was started by four brothers in the 1960’s.

Marcos Arturo, Carlos, Alfredo and Héctor – Alfredo Beltrán Leyva (a.k.a.: El Mochomo) was a key money

launderer for the cartel and oversaw large-scale drug-smuggling operations. His arrest in January 2008 was a

huge blow to the Sinaloa cartel and blamed they their boss, Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman for the arrest. In

apparent revenge for the arrest of his brother Alfredo, Arturo ordered the assassination of the commissioner

of the Federal Police, Edgar Eusebio Millan Gomez, and other top federal officials in the Mexican capital.

Arturo also ordered the assassination of Guzman's son, 22 year-old Edgar Guzman Lopez, which was carried

out in a strip mall parking lot by fifteen gunmen using assault rifles and grenade launchers. Alfredo’s arrest not

only undermined long-term Sinaloa agreements, but resurrected bitterness between rival cartel leaders

Joaquin Guzman and the Juárez Cartel.

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Marisa Rojo
Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
12/9/2010
Tijuana’s cartel was founded by Gallardo in the early 1960’s and reigned until he was incarcerated in

1989 for being involved in the homicide of an undercover DEA agent, Enrique Camarena. The Arellano Felix

family consisting of 11 brothers and sisters then inherited the organization although not all siblings are

involved. One of the sisters, Enedina Areallano Felix, a well known business woman is said to have heavy

control in the matters of their narco trade creating alliances with the Sinaloa Cartel and moving drugs from

Mexico into the Baja California border. The majority of Mexico's smuggling routes are controlled by three

cartels: Gulf, Sinaloa and Tijuana but Tijuana holds the least authority. This may be because Tijuana borders

only California and since its location only allows a small section of the United States, isn’t in high demand.

Most traffickers rather move through Texas with its 1,254 miles of the 1,900-mile-long U.S.-Mexico border.

LFM, La Familia based in Michoacán is possibly the most powerful gang of the narco movement. Originally

their formation was a vigilante group comprised of Mexicans, El Salvadorians, and Guatemalans to counter act

local street crime and law enforcement corruption. Their views on cartel interest groups are tight knit and

based on religious beliefs and divine righteous movements. The Michoacan Cartel requires reading the John

Eldredge book, ‘Salvaje de Corazon’ or ‘Wild at Heart’ in order to join the Cartel. Many of its members who are

born again Christians come from drug rehabilitation centers are forced to join the Cartel or face death.

Members endure a six month training camp in Michoacan, administrated by ex-members of the Colombian or

Mexican Special Forces (GAFE). They buy and steal equipment, weapons, and uniforms that resemble the

Federal Investigations Agency uniforms so that it is easy to carry on trafficking in public without being

detected. Religion and family are greatly emphasized during recruitment, and the cartel has gone to the

lengths of hanging banners in public places stating that La Familia cartel will not tolerate the abuse or

exploitation of women and children. La Familia also bribes teachers and the (CONAFE) which is similar to a

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Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
12/9/2010
Department of Education here in the United States to spread the teachings ‘Salvaje de Corazon’ has to offer.

The lesson: “a battle to fight, a beauty to rescue, and an adventure to live”. The cartel gives loans to farmers,

businesses, schools and churches, and it advertises its goodwill in local newspapers in order to gain support.

When buying weapons for the Mexican Cartel, ‘low key’ is the Cartels motto. Cartels usually offer these

positions to Americans who have little to no criminal background so they are “off the radar”. The New York

Times quoted a detained smuggler instructing an informant during a transaction as to how to buy the

weapons and how to avoid any problems. “’He told the informant to break the sales up into batches and never

to carry more than two weapons in a car.’ and "If you got pulled over, two is no biggie," Iknadosian is quoted

as saying in the transcript. "Four is a question. Fifteen is, 'What are you doing?"' (Greyson) The weapons are

often bought legally at gun shows in Arizona, New Mexico and other border states where loopholes in the

system allow criminals to stock up without background checks. Also, smugglers are encouraged to buy from

private shops and to go to several shops a day to buy two to three at a time. After, they are instructed to hide

the weapons in the door panels or under the hood and transport them into Mexico. Going into Mexico, very

few cars are pulled over for inspection which makes for an easy passage. In Mexico, buying firearms a more

difficult process. Mexicans must receive authorization to purchase firearms but are not allowed to purchase or

own large-caliber rifles or high-powered pistols as they are considered military weapons. The Zetas are very

well armed as are most Cartel outfits. Their weapons of choice are AR-15, AK-47 rifles, and MP5 machine guns.

.50 caliber machine guns, grenade launchers, surface-to-air missiles are also popular. (Greyson)The Cartel has

also been able to purchase dynamite and helicopters and operate with modern wiretapping equipment. Once

in Juarez, a well dressed man came in to the office, asked my mom if he could purchase everything and

anything that my mom currently had on the shelves including fifteen voice scramblers and fifty two way

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Marisa Rojo
Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
12/9/2010
radios. My mom He then put $15,000 American dollars down on her desk and left with the merchandise. We

never saw him again.

Osiel Cárdenas Guillen founder of the Gulf Cartel wanted to have his own wing of assassins to protect

himself from rival Cartels during the 1990’s. He chose members of an elite Mexican military squad trained at

Fort Bragg, North Carolina, using counter-insurgency and counter-narcotics techniques during the early

1990’s. These GAFE operatives who are equivalent to the Special Forces here in the US. 200 of the 500

Mexican soldiers who trained and went on as mercenaries to protect the Zetas. ‘Zeta’ which translates to the

letter “Z”, is a standard military code for a high ranking officer. The federal justice police radio code, ‘Z1’ was

given to Lieutenant Arturo Guzman Decena . Military forces from around the world train at Ft. Bragg so there

is nothing odd about Mexican operatives learning counter-insurgency tactics at the facility. Tier training and

skills, however, prepared the Zetas for careers as contract killers and drug dealers.

It seems that the views and organization of the first cartel generation had everything in working order.

One enormous downfall to the new generation is they do not have the quiet grace of their predecessors.

Currently many of the footmen hired to do the actual smuggling are desperate citizens seeking to make money

to keep their families alive. In the City of Juarez many, businesses have closed and factories have been

outsourced leaving families with little choice as to how they will make ends meet. Many people off the street

will approach the Cartel and willingly sign up to kill 20 people each day for about $100.00. They are also told to

keep what they steal from their victims. The Cartel is doing this for two reasons; its attempt to hold the city

hostage until President Calderon allows the Cartel to take control of the Narcotic trade again and to help kill

rival Cartel members. Since Calderon has been in power, he has purged several hundred law enforcers and

government officials in his attempt to clean up Mexico. Mexican officials have also seized over $205,000,000

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Marisa Rojo
Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
12/9/2010
and over 1,500,000 lbs. of Marijuana. (Vicini) Cartel in retaliation will kill at least 15 people a day and by noon

there is a body count. They enter houses, hospitals, offices, and restaurants, tell their victims to lie down, and

shoot them execution style. Another byproduct of having citizens in the Cartels is of the 10,000 footmen

receuited, very little of them are trained. Recently, a ‘Falcon Lake murder’ appeared leading detectives to

believe two footmen from the Zetas shot an American that had ventured too far out into a section of Falcon

Lake that was used for smuggling drugs. The foot man shot without thinking and this story not only revealed

where one of their drug routes is but also showed the inexperience that some members have.

Until recent events, the Cartel exercised military strategies to gain strength and instill fear in the

government and general public. However, the established steadfast leaders of the past are aging and are

followed by a generation whose approach to the cartels traditions has weakened what the founders have

regarded for many years. The cartels are fighting not only each other but are backed into a corner by true

soldiers of the Mexican Military. These factors will ultimately create the downfall of the Mexican Cartel.

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Marisa Rojo
Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
12/9/2010

References:

1. Buggs. ‘Juarez Cartel Trains Beautiful Women”. http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2010/08/. August 18, 2010

Viewed November 15, 2010.

2. Burnet, John. 'Drug Tunnel Discovery Signals New Cartel in Town'. November 28, 2010.

http://www.npr.org/2010/11/28/131647387/drug-tunnel-discovery-signals-new-cartel-in-town. Viewed

December 7, 2010

3. Eldredge, James ‘Muscular Christianity’". June 2009. http://thumpandwhip.com/2009/06/07/focus-on-the-

family-outreach-decapitating-mexican-drug-cartel-la-familia-demand-and-preach-james-eldredges-muscular-

christianity/. Retrieved December 2, 2010

4. George W. Grayson (February 2009). "La Familia: Another Deadly Mexican Syndicate". Foreign Policy Research

Institute. Viewed: November 13,2010

5. James Vicini, “More Heroin, Marijuana from Mexico,” Reuters, March 25, 2010. Viewed November 15, 2010

6. http://julydogs.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/narcoguerra-times-the-faith-based-cartel/ June 6, 2010.

Viewed December 4, 2010

7. "Mexican Drug Cartel Allegedly Puts a Price on Arizona Sherriff's Head" July 29, 2010. Viewed on December 1,

2010

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Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
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Professor Gregory Twyman
World Civilizations 126
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Drug Tunnel found thanksgiving day 2010, from Tijuana to San Diego. The beginning f the tunnel begins in a kitchen.

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