Nina Caldwell
The Gulf Cartel (Cártel del Golfo) is a drug trafficking organization and U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, which is perhaps one of the oldest organized crime groups in Mexico. Despite crackdowns and leadership changes, the cartel remains a formidable force with deep-rooted connections, allowing it to adapt and survive. The group has a wide-reaching delivery network across the United States and is involved in various criminal activities, including drug trafficking, protection rackets, assassinations, extortion, kidnappings, and migrant smuggling. Although weakened by arrests and internal power struggles, the cartel continues to exert control over territories near the U.S.-Mexico border and is considered a significant threat by U.S. authorities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Status | Active criminal organization |
| Type | Drug trafficking organization, criminal syndicate, U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization |
| Location | Northeastern Mexico, Matamoros, Tamaulipas |
| Operations | Drug trafficking, protection rackets, assassinations, extortion, kidnappings, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing |
| Presence | International, Europe, West Africa, Asia, Central America, South America, and the United States |
| Members | Juan Nepomuceno Guerra, Óscar Malherbe de León, Raúl Valladares del Ángel, Hugo Baldomero Medina Garza, Adalberto Garza Dragustinovis, Ismael Guerra Salinas (a.k.a. Mayelo), Omar Guerra Salinas (a.k.a. Samorano) |
| Factions | Los Metros, Los Ciclones, Grupo Escorpiones |
| Power Base | Deep-rooted connections, internal divisions, rivalry |
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What You'll Learn
The Gulf Cartel's history and origins
The Gulf Cartel (Spanish: Cártel del Golfo), or Golfos, is a Mexican criminal syndicate, drug trafficking organization, and U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. It is perhaps one of the oldest organized crime groups in Mexico. The cartel was founded in the 1930s by Juan Nepomuceno Guerra and was originally known as the Matamoros Cartel (Spanish: Cártel de Matamoros). During the Prohibition era, the cartel smuggled large quantities of alcohol into the United States, along with other illegal goods. After the end of Prohibition, the cartel diversified its criminal activities, controlling gambling houses, prostitution rings, a car theft network, and other forms of smuggling.
In the 1970s, the cartel grew significantly under the leadership of kingpin Juan García Ábrego, who began trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana in addition to heroin. In 1984, García Abrego brokered a deal with the Colombian Cali Cartel, agreeing to handle cocaine shipments into the United States and taking on all the risks in exchange for a share of the profits. This deal brought immense wealth to the cartel, which was reportedly earning billions of dollars annually by the mid-1990s.
In 1999, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén took full control of the Gulf Cartel and sought to protect his organization and leadership by recruiting members of the Mexican Army Special Forces to serve as the cartel's military armed wing. This led to a series of violent confrontations with rival cartels and the Mexican military. Despite suffering setbacks due to arrests and killings of key members, the Gulf Cartel maintained its power and influence for decades, with the Cárdenas family playing a crucial role in its operations.
In recent years, the Gulf Cartel has faced internal power struggles and divisions, as well as pressure from U.S. authorities due to its presence along the U.S.-Mexico border and its involvement in drug trafficking and migrant smuggling. While it is not as powerful as it once was, the cartel continues to exert control over certain border cities, such as Matamoros and Reynosa, and remains a significant player in the criminal underworld.
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The cartel's international network
The Gulf Cartel (Cártel del Golfo) is a criminal syndicate, drug trafficking organization, and U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. It is one of the oldest organized crime groups in Mexico, with its origins traced back to the 1930s in Tamaulipas, Mexico, where it was initially involved in bootlegging during the Prohibition era.
In the United States, the Gulf Cartel built a wide-reaching delivery network spanning from Houston to Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles. They have also been implicated in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, using light, fast-moving boats called "lanchas" to cross into U.S. waters and fish for species under strict fishing limits, such as red snapper and shark.
The cartel's international reach extends to West Africa, where they exploit the region's struggling rule-of-law to expand supply routes to the European illegal drug market. Additionally, the Gulf Cartel has formed partnerships with European crime groups, such as the 'Ndrangheta and the Albanian mafia, further expanding their global network.
Despite internal divisions, leadership changes, and external pressures, the Gulf Cartel remains a formidable force with deep-rooted connections. The power of the cartel has been maintained for decades by the Cárdenas family, who continue to exert influence despite arrests and internal power struggles. The Gulf Cartel's resilience and ability to adapt in the face of government pressure and crackdowns are a testament to their entrenched position in the criminal underworld.
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Arrests and internal power struggles
The Gulf Cartel (Cártel del Golfo) has been significantly weakened by arrests and internal power struggles. The arrest of its leader, Juan García Ábrego, in 1996, for instance, caused the group to lose influence. García Abrego had formed an alliance with the Colombian Cali Cartel in the 1980s, agreeing to handle cocaine shipments to the US in exchange for 50% of the profits. At the time of his arrest, the Gulf Cartel was reportedly earning billions of dollars in cash each year.
The Gulf Cartel has experienced numerous internal conflicts and splits, leading to rivalries with other criminal organizations, most notably Los Zetas. The arrest and extradition of Cárdenas, for instance, led to internal struggles and a rupture between the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas. Similarly, the arrest of El Coss left the group without a clear successor and triggered a period of unstable leadership. In the power vacuum that followed, one of the contenders to succeed El Coss, David Salgado, was murdered, and his internal rival Mario Ramirez Treviño briefly took the top spot before he too was arrested, leaving yet another power vacuum in the increasingly fragmented cartel.
The Gulf Cartel's future is uncertain due to ongoing infighting and external pressures from law enforcement and rival cartels. The internal divisions among its factions, such as Los Metros, Los Ciclones, and Grupo Escorpiones, weaken its overall cohesion and operational capacity. In 2023, violence spiked across Tamaulipas as a result of the breakdown of the 2021 ceasefire agreements between various factions of the cartel. The Mexican government's efforts to crack down on organized crime, including the recent arrests of key leaders, have further complicated the cartel's operations.
In addition to the arrests of García Abrego, El Coss, and Treviño, several other high-profile arrests have weakened the Gulf Cartel. In 2013, Aurelio Cano Flores became the highest cartel member to be convicted by a US jury in 15 years. In 2019, Carlos Abraham Ríos Suárez, head of the cartel's operations in Oaxaca, was arrested. In 2020, high-ranking US Gulf Cartel member Jorge Costilla-Sanchez pleaded guilty to an international drug trafficking conspiracy.
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The cartel's criminal activities
The Gulf Cartel (Cártel del Golfo) is a Mexican criminal syndicate, drug trafficking organization, and U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. It is one of the oldest and most powerful organized crime groups in Mexico, with an international network spanning Europe, West Africa, Asia, Central America, South America, and the United States.
The Gulf Cartel's drug trafficking operations include marijuana, heroin, and cocaine. By the 1980s, the cartel began incorporating cocaine into its operations, negotiating with the Colombian Cali Cartel to secure 50% of the shipment from Colombia as payment for delivery. This allowed them to create a sophisticated and extensive distribution network along the U.S.-Mexico border, with bases in cities like Matamoros and Reynosa. They also established a wide-reaching delivery network across the United States, from Houston to Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles.
In addition to drug trafficking, the Gulf Cartel is involved in arms trafficking, with access to weapons in the United States and circles within Mexico that coordinate arms trafficking routes within the country. They also engage in migrant smuggling, taking advantage of their control along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The cartel has had close ties with former governors of Tamaulipas and other government officials, who have been investigated for possible cooperation. They have also been known to recruit gang members to distribute drugs and conduct criminal activities on their behalf, working with gangs like the Texas Syndicate, the Latin Kings, and the Mexican Mafia.
While the Gulf Cartel has been weakened by arrests and killings in recent years, it still retains significant power and control, particularly in Tamaulipas along the U.S.-Mexico border. The group has fragmented into different factions, including the Scorpions, Cyclones, Rojos, Metros, and Panthers, each vying for control over various criminal economies.
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The cartel's presence in Northeastern Mexico
The Gulf Cartel (Cártel del Golfo) is a criminal syndicate, drug trafficking organization, and U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. It is currently based in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, directly across the U.S. border from Brownsville, Texas. The Gulf Cartel is one of the oldest organized crime groups in Mexico, with its origins traced back to the 1930s when it was involved in bootlegging during the Prohibition era. In the 1970s, the cartel began to focus on drug trafficking, smuggling marijuana and heroin into the United States.
The cartel gained prominence under the leadership of Juan García Ábrego in the 1980s, who expanded its operations by forming alliances with Colombian drug traffickers, such as the Cali Cartel. By the end of the 1990s, the Gulf Cartel had built a wide-reaching delivery network across the United States and had gained significant political power by buying out government officials, including the Attorney General’s Office.
Despite a series of arrests and killings that have weakened the organization, the Gulf Cartel remains a formidable force in northeastern Mexico. The cartel's power has been maintained by the Cárdenas family, who have helped the group adapt and survive despite internal power struggles and external pressures. The cartel's presence in northeastern Mexico is characterized by its control of the border crossing between Matamoros and Brownsville, Texas, and its influence in the states of Tamaulipas, Reynosa, and Nuevo Laredo.
The Gulf Cartel's activities in northeastern Mexico include drug trafficking, protection rackets, assassinations, extortions, kidnappings, and migrant smuggling. The cartel's factions, such as Los Metros, Los Ciclones, and Grupo Escorpiones, often clash with each other and with rival cartels, leading to violent confrontations with law enforcement and rival groups. The cartel's presence has disrupted daily life in the region, with public transportation and school classes being canceled due to safety concerns.
The Gulf Cartel's activities continue to challenge local authorities and international efforts to curb crime in Mexico. The cartel's deep-rooted connections and ability to adapt have allowed it to survive despite ongoing government pressure and leadership changes. The group's involvement in criminal activities such as illegal fishing, human smuggling, and narcotics trafficking in the Gulf of Mexico has led to sanctions from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Gulf Cartel (Cartel del Golfo) is still active in northeastern Mexico, particularly in the states of Tamaulipas, directly across the U.S. border from Texas, and in Matamoros, Reynosa, and Nuevo Laredo.
The Cartel del Golfo is a criminal syndicate, drug trafficking organization, and U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Their activities include drug trafficking, protection rackets, assassinations, extortion, kidnappings, and migrant smuggling. They are also involved in illegal fishing operations, which often serve as a revenue stream for the organization.
The Cartel del Golfo is considered one of Mexico's most dangerous criminal organizations and has been designated as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker. While the cartel has been weakened by arrests and killings, it remains a formidable force with deep-rooted connections and international influence.
The Cartel del Golfo originated in the 1930s in Tamaulipas, Mexico, and was initially involved in bootlegging during the Prohibition era. It evolved into drug trafficking in the 1970s, smuggling marijuana and heroin into the United States. The cartel gained prominence under the leadership of Juan García Ábrego in the 1980s, who expanded its operations by forming alliances with Colombian drug traffickers.
The Cartel del Golfo is made up of several factions, including Los Metros, Los Ciclones, and Grupo Escorpiones. These factions often clash with each other and rival groups, contributing to the ongoing fragmentation of the cartel. Despite internal divisions and external pressures, these factions maintain control over key areas along the U.S.-Mexico border.
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