Sinaloa Cartel

The Sinaloa Cartel is the one of the largest drug trafficking cartels in Mexico. The cartel's leader, Joaquin Shorty Guzman is one of Mexico's most wanted criminals.¹

Fast Facts:

1. Base of operations: Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
2. Cartel's security detail: "Los Pelones"²
3. Major "plazas": Tijuana, Nuevo Laredo²
4. Drugs trafficked: Heroin, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Marijuana²
5. Major figures: Joaquin Shorty Guzman, Alfredo Beltran¹
6. Major rivals: Gulf Cartel, Juarez Cartel, Tijuana Cartel

Brief History

The DEA believes that by the late 1980s the Sinaloa Cartel was the largest drug trafficking operation in Mexico.³ After United States anti-drug-trafficking efforts in the 1980s resulted in the closing of many Colombian drug routes through the Caribbean, traffickers began to use Mexico's Pacific Coast. Colombian traffickers also began to sell drugs wholesale to groups such as the Sinaloa Cartel, and this increased the power and influence of the Mexican cartels.²

Rivals and Activity

The Sinaloa Cartel's main rivals are the Gulf Cartel, the Juarez Cartel, and the Tijuana Cartel. These cartels battle over narcotic procurement points from South America and Central America as well as major entry points, or "plazas," into the United States, such as Tijuana and Nuevo Laredo. The most prominent current procurement point is in Acapulco.²

Leaders and Arrests

The current leader of the Sinaloa Cartel is Joaquin Guzman, who goes by the nickname "El Chapo" or "Shorty." In 2001, Guzman escaped from federal prison in Mexico and he is currently a fugitive.¹ Alfredo Beltran, a top commander in the Sinaloa Cartel, was arrested in Culiacan in January, 2008.

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