History[]
The cartel was formed by Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, and Rafael Caro Quintero in the early 1980s to smuggle marijuana into the United States. The cartel soon began to work with Colombian drug cartels and began smuggling cocaine into the United States, under the protection of the DFS and several Mexican politicians.
The cartel gained notoriety for the kidnapping of Enrique Camarena and Alfredo Zavala in 1985. Despite this, the cartel thrived till it broke apart in 1989, splitting into several smaller cartels, leading to the Mexican Drug War.
Members[]
Guadalajara/Leadership[]
- Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (leader)
- Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo
- Rafael Caro Quintero
- Salvador Osuna Nava
- Juan José Esparragoza Moreno
Juárez plaza[]
Tijuana plaza[]
- Benjamín Arellano Félix
- Francisco Rafael Arellano Félix
- Ramón Arellano Félix
- Eduardo Arellano Félix
- Enedina Arellano Félix
- Francisco Javier Arellano Félix
- Alicia Maria Arellano Félix
- Isabel Arellano Félix
- Nestor