El Narco

1. El Narco Transformed into a Paramilitary Force

This book is about the criminal networks that paid Gonzalo to hack off human heads.

From smugglers to death squads. Mexican drug gangs radically transformed from simple drug smugglers into paramilitary death squads, employing brutal tactics like beheadings, massacres, and car bombs. This shift occurred over decades, escalating significantly in the early 21st century.

A new kind of violence. Killers like Gonzalo, once focused on kidnapping and torture for debt collection, evolved into urban warriors leading heavily armed troops. Their methods became increasingly savage, including countless decapitations and mass kidnappings, reflecting a loss of fear and compassion.

Beyond traditional crime. This transformation elevated El Narco from a criminal enterprise to a force posing a major armed threat to Mexico. The scale and nature of their violence, including attacks on government officials and terrorizing communities, suggest they became a criminal insurgency.

2. US Drug Policy Fueled the Mexican Drug Trade

The story of El Narco is also the story of American drug policy.

Prohibition created the market. The US outlawing of narcotics, starting with the 1914 Harrison Narcotics Act, immediately created a black market for drugs like opium and cocaine, providing a lucrative opportunity for smugglers in neighboring Mexico. Early US drug warriors like Hamilton Wright used sensationalist, often racist, claims to push for prohibition.

Demand drove supply. The surge in American drug use in the 1960s and 70s, particularly for marijuana and cocaine, dramatically increased demand for Mexican narcotics. This transformed drug production from a niche activity in Sinaloa to a national industry across a dozen Mexican states.

Crackdowns shifted routes. US efforts to stop drug flow, like Nixon's Operation Intercept or Reagan's crackdown in Florida, often just shifted trafficking routes and empowered Mexican cartels. When the US hit Colombian cartels, Mexicans took over the lucrative cocaine pipeline, becoming the dominant players.

3. Cocaine Profits Created Powerful Cartels

By the early eighties, Medellín mobsters had become visible and powerful figures.

Cocaine's immense profitability. Cocaine became the most profitable drug, generating billions of dollars and creating the first drug-smuggling billionaires like Pablo Escobar. The high markup from production to street sale made it a far more lucrative business than marijuana or heroin.

The "Mexican trampoline". Colombian cartels, facing pressure in Florida, increasingly used Mexico as a transit point, or "trampoline," to smuggle cocaine into the US. This deal, facilitated by figures like Juan Ramón Matta Ballesteros, channeled billions of dollars into Mexico, transforming its drug trade.

Mexicans took control. Initially paid as couriers, Mexican gangsters gradually took over the cocaine business from the Colombians. By the 1990s, they were paid in cocaine rather than cash, allowing them to build their own distribution networks in the US and become the dominant criminal organizations in the Americas.

4. Democratic Transition Weakened State Control

Tragically, the same system that promised hope was weak in controlling the most powerful mafias on the continent.

PRI's corrupt control. For decades, the authoritarian PRI party managed organized crime through a system of corruption, taxing gangsters and keeping them in line. This "perfect dictatorship" used a network of local chiefs and police forces, where money flowed up and power flowed down.

Democracy disrupted the system. The end of 71 years of PRI rule and the transition to democracy, starting with President Zedillo's reforms and culminating in Fox's election, dismantled the old system of control. While aiming for transparency, it inadvertently weakened the state's ability to manage powerful mafias.

Fragmentation of power. Without the PRI's central authority, police forces became fragmented, often working for competing mafias. This created an environment where gangsters could challenge authority and where corruption became a source of conflict rather than stability.

5. Militarized Gangs Ignited the Drug War

Suddenly, the public saw captured criminals in combat fatigues with heavy weaponry.

The rise of the Zetas. The Zetas, formed by former Mexican special forces soldiers, militarized the conflict by applying military training and tactics to organized crime. Their defection marked a radical shift from police skimming profits to soldiers joining the mob.

Insurgent tactics. The Zetas and other cartels adopted paramilitary tactics, including simultaneous attacks on police facilities, mass kidnappings, and the use of terror like decapitations. They fought pitched battles with the army and rival gangs, escalating violence beyond traditional crime.

Calderón's war. President Felipe Calderón's decision to declare war on cartels and deploy the military, while initially popular, coincided with and arguably exacerbated the conflict. His offensive, backed by US aid, led to record busts but also a dramatic increase in violence as cartels fought back and against each other.

6. Drug Trafficking is a Billion-Dollar Industry

This ghost makes an estimated $30 billion every year smuggling cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and crystal meth into the United States.

Massive scale of operations. The Mexican drug industry operates 24/7, producing and transporting tons of narcotics annually. Seizures at the US border confirm the colossal scale, with hundreds of tons of drugs captured yearly, illustrating that the war has not significantly suppressed supply.

Economic powerhouse. Estimated at $30 billion annually, the drug trade is one of Mexico's largest industries, rivaling oil exports and migrant remittances. This wealth provides thousands of jobs, fuels other sectors, and has the power to corrupt institutions.

Ingenious logistics. Cartels employ sophisticated methods and "cerebros" (brains) to transport drugs, including:

• Custom-built "trap cars" with hidden compartments
• Extensive tunnel networks under the border
• Use of ships, submarines, and light aircraft
• Subcontracting transport to freelancers

7. Assassins Became the Engine of Violence

This is a war fought by assassins.

The evolution of killers. Mexican assassins transformed from professional "triggermen" using pistols to "sicarios" employing military-style ambushes with automatic rifles. Influenced by Colombian methods, they became highly effective, often killing multiple targets simultaneously.

Overkill and civilian casualties. The use of excessive firepower, like spraying hundreds of bullets in an ambush, ensures hits but also drastically increases the risk to civilians, who become victims of "lost bullets." This indiscriminate violence terrorizes communities.

Teenage sicarios. The recruitment of teenagers from slums, particularly in Juárez, into cartel hit squads for as little as $85 per murder, highlights a terrifying degradation of society. These young killers, often loosely controlled, contribute significantly to the bloodshed.

8. Narco Culture and Religion Glorify Outlaws

At the heart of narcocultura is the figure of the mafia godfather.

Soundtrack to the war. Narcocorridos (drug ballads) provide a popular soundtrack to the drug war, singing the praises of kingpins, guns, and killings. Artists like Valentín Elizalde and Chalino Sánchez became stars, their music reflecting and influencing the narco lifestyle.

Outlaw romanticism. Narcocultura, including music, cinema, and fashion (buchones), romanticizes the figure of the gangster as a rebel who rose from poverty and defies the state. This taps into a long tradition of outlaw worship in northern Mexico.

Narco religion. Cartels increasingly adopt or influence religious symbols and sects, like Jesús Malverde, Santa Muerte, and La Familia's own evangelical-tinged faith. This provides spiritual justification, discipline, and a sense of mission for their fighters, challenging traditional religious authority.

9. Prosecution Relies on Informants and Deals

Drug busting is a grimy game.

Intelligence is key. Major drug busts and arrests rely heavily on intelligence gathered through informants and undercover agents. This requires agents to operate in ethically ambiguous territory, dealing with criminals to catch bigger criminals.

Flipping suspects. A core tactic is to persuade arrested smugglers and gangsters to become informants, providing information on higher-ups, drug routes, and assets. This process, often involving plea bargains and reduced sentences, is increasingly done through extradition to the US.

Cartel decapitation. The strategy of targeting and arresting or killing cartel leaders ("cartel decapitation") aims to weaken organizations. While successful in removing key figures, it often leads to increased violence as rivals fight for control and doesn't stop the drug flow.

10. Cartels Expand Across the Americas and Beyond

El Narco’s destiny, some fear, is to emerge as a global power.

Northward expansion. Mexican cartels operate extensively throughout the United States, controlling wholesale drug distribution in major hubs like Los Angeles, Houston, and Phoenix. While not causing widespread violence spillover, their presence is significant.

Cross-border gangs. Gangs like Barrio Azteca have become true cross-border organizations, linking US street crime to Mexican cartels and facilitating the flow of guns south and drugs/violence north, particularly in the El Paso-Juárez corridor.

Global reach. Beyond the US, Mexican cartels are expanding into Central and South America, Africa, and even Europe and Asia, establishing routes, buying real estate, and subcontracting local criminals.
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Last updated: May 12, 2025