THEY CREATED LOS ZETAS - the Gulf Cartel

Mexican cartels are not just organized crime communities. They are real networks that entangle Mexico in all spheres, from drug trafficking to oil exports. The composition of these networks is not static: there is no stability on Mexico's criminal map—cartels can unexpectedly unite or predictably clash. The main factor determining an organization's strength is its proximity to the US border, which is why the Sinaloa Cartel is the oldest and most powerful organization, controlling half of the border with the United States. This cartel has become a true symbol of old-school Mexican drug trafficking. The other half of the border in the northeast of the country and the Gulf Cartel entered the game much later than Sinaloa, but have become an ominous symbol of this century. Having become full-fledged participants in the global drug trade, they changed the rules and, unlike Sinaloa, no longer tried to live in peace with the state and their own compatriots. The Gulf Cartel created the notorious "Los Zetas" and gave birth to the modern shape of Mexican crime, where every drug lord has his own small army and all problems are solved with violence, which has been going on for a couple of decades now. And if you're interested in hearing why this particular organization turned the tables, then meet the Gulf Cartel, on the other side of the law.