Sinaloa Cartel Research Paper

The Sinaloa Cartel is the largest drug empire in the world responsible for smuggling about a quarter of all illegal drugs in the U.S. from Mexico with an estimated revenue over 3 billion dollars. Forbes Magazine added its leader, Juaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, to the 2009 billionaires list and in 2013 ranked him as the 67th most powerful person in the world. What truly defines the Sinaloa Cartel as a Hybrid Threat to the U.S. is its widespread network with criminal organizations throughout the world and international smuggling and distribution networks. The Sinaloa Cartel has been known to work with some of the largest gangs in the U.S. such as the Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings, the Bloods, the Crips, MS-13, and the Sureños. The Sinaloa Cartels
El Chapo has also been using western and northern Africa as a hub for smuggling drugs into Europe and further into Africa to Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Congo, and Sierra Leone. The DEA has also reported the Guinea-Bissau military aiding the cartel in the transportation and storage of their product. There are also records of the Guinea-Bissau government selling surface-to-air missiles to bring down U.S. helicopters in Columbia. These weapons could also be accessible to FARC, Colombian terrorist organization, which also works hand in hand with the Sinaloa Cartel in Africa. The FARC and the Sinaloa Cartel are also expanding operations in the Middle East. In China the Hong Kong Triads provide chemicals to the Sinaloa Carter for the production of methamphetamine. This relationship could also extend back to the U.S. as the Triads have connections with Black Star, Black Dragons, Tiny Rascal Gangsters, and the Wah Ching Asian gangs with members in Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit. In 2013 a drug bust of about 80 kilos with members of the Sinaloa Cartel was made in the Philippines as the organization continues to take advantage of emerging