"Gringo Cartels": How Drug Gangs Operate in the U.S.

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat

Throughout the 20th century, the United States was home to major organized crime bosses. Figures like Al Capone and John Gotti built illicit empires and dominated the headlines. But in their wake, the country lacked a single, dominant kingpin in the illicit drug trade.

This leads us to ask: given that the United States is one of the world's largest drug markets, why is there no single "capo" like "El Chapo"—nor any major cartels—comparable to those found in Latin America?

In this video, we explain who is *really* selling drugs inside the United States—and why they are rarely discussed. A few months ago, a scene unfolded in a New York federal court that captured the world's attention.

Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada—one of the historic leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel—pleaded guilty. He admitted that, for decades, he had trafficked massive quantities of drugs into the United States.

For U.S. authorities, this marked a historic victory. Pam Bondi—a former U.S. Attorney General—highlighted a message that authorities in this country repeat time and again: major Latin American cartels are the ones responsible for flooding the United States with drugs.

However, this narrative leaves out an essential part of the system. The United States is not merely the final destination; it is one of the world's largest drug markets. And for that market to function, someone must handle everything that happens once the drugs cross the border: distributing the drugs domestically, selling them on the streets... and managing the money.

And this is where, according to some experts, local organizations play a significant role. But the question remains: do "American cartels" actually exist? According to an FBI report, there are more than 30,000 gangs operating in the United States, with an estimated 1.4 million members.

Some of these groups include the Arizona Mexican Mafia, Barrio Azteca, the Border Brothers, the Hells Angels, and the Latin Kings—to name just a few. There are those who argue that these groups could, in fact, be classified as cartels.

"American cartels are similar to those in Colombia, Mexico, and Central America. The reality is that the world... has grown accustomed to the narrative put forth by the United States—specifically the federal government—that cartels exist elsewhere, but never within its own territory. And that was true until a few years ago, when, thanks to the cunning of Mexican cartels, they eventually learned just how dangerous it can be to operate within the United States. They remain the primary wholesale suppliers of narcotics to the U.S.; however, for decades now, American citizens have been involved in the sale, transport, distribution, and money laundering associated with these illicit drugs.”

Although Esquivel believes that it doesn’t serve the interests of officials at the DEA and other government agencies to speak of “American cartels.”

“If the United States were to acknowledge them as such... it would lose the political leverage needed to pressure other nations—such as Mexico, currently facing Donald Trump’s threat of a military invasion to combat drug trafficking. What they don’t want to discuss are two very simple things: First, that they already have cartels operating domestically; and second, that they neglected a public health and education crisis that has now ballooned into a massive problem—one that is incredibly difficult to halt.”

Nevertheless, there are those who don’t believe that the organizations operating within the U.S. can be compared to their Latin American cartel counterparts. Primarily, this is due to their differing methods of operation.

According to Steven Dudley of Insight Crime, gangs in the United States lack the power to corrupt authorities in the way that occurs in Latin America. He believes that their connections with law enforcement—as well as with political and economic elites—are minimal, and that they possess scant capacity to challenge the State's monopoly on power.

The second factor is their structure. There is no single "boss of bosses" controlling everything. Instead, they operate as independent cells: each group has its own leaders, its own rules, and its own modus operandi. Their dominion is far more fragmented.

They control neighborhoods, streets, and even street corners. This makes them more difficult to dismantle; if one cell falls, others continue to operate. Furthermore, according to some experts, they owe no "loyalty" to any specific supplier; they simply do business with whoever offers the best terms. This affords them both flexibility and power.

But let us return to the initial question: Why is there no major American drug lord? According to experts, it’s not in criminal leaders' best interest to seek notoriety. The United States features a robust presence of law enforcement agencies and police forces, as well as severe penalties that would easily strip them of their illicit gains. Added to this is the fact that the very structure of the gang-based criminal system does not require a single "capo" to function.

"In the United States, there is no single cartel capo—precisely because the Italian Mafia, which held sway in the U.S. during the early part of the last century, provided a clear example that a lone boss cannot last. Sooner or later, he will fall, and his organization will be dismantled—just as happened with Al Capone."

Indeed, avoiding high-profile visibility is an advantage: the lower the profile, the lower the risk. Yet, setting these considerations aside, the fact remains that—far from subsiding—drug consumption in the United States has actually increased over the past few decades. And cartels from Latin America, Asia, and other parts of the world continue to serve as the primary suppliers.

Source: BBC News Mundo