Which mexican drug cartel is the largest

The report covers 29, firearms submitted in and July 11, - The US government announces a plan to require gun dealers in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to report the sales of semiautomatic rifles under certain conditions in an effort to stem the flow of guns to Mexican drug cartels.

July 27, - Edgar Jimenez Lugo, known as "El Ponchis" or "The Cloak," a year-old American citizen with suspected drug cartel ties, is found guilty of beheading at least four people. He is sentenced to three years, the maximum for a juvenile, in a Mexican correctional facility. He is the purported leader of La Linea, the suspected armed branch of the Juarez drug cartel, and considered responsible for the death of US Consulate employee Lesley Enriquez and her husband Arthur Redelfs.

August 25, - At least 52 people are killed in an attack on the Casino Royale in Monterrey, Mexico. Witnesses say up to six people entered the Casino Royale and demanded money from the manager. When the manager refused to pay, the building was set on fire. August 30, - Mexican officials allege that five suspects arrested in connection with the Mexico casino fire are members of the Los Zetas drug cartel. September 13, - A murdered man and woman are found hanging from a bridge in Nuevo Laredo.

Near their mutilated bodies is a sign saying they were killed for denouncing drug cartel activities on a social media site. The sign also threatens to kill others who post "funny things on the internet. January 4, - Benjamin Arellano Felix, a former leader of Mexico's Tijuana drug cartel, pleads guilty to charges of racketeering and conspiracy to launder money. January 11, - The office of Mexico's Attorney General releases a statement saying that nearly 13, people were killed in drug violence between January and September August 31, - Eduardo Arellano Felix, an alleged senior member of a Tijuana-based drug cartel, is extradited from Mexico to the United States.

Arellano Felix was arrested on October 25, , after a gun battle with Mexican forces. He is later sentenced to 15 years in US prison. September 3, - In his final state of the nation address, President Calderon defends his government's approach to combating crime and drugs and criticizes the United States for providing criminals with almost "unlimited access" to weapons.

September 27, - Mexican marines capture and arrest a man claiming to be Ivan Velazquez-Caballero, alias "El Taliban. After pleading guilty In , Velazquez-Caballero is sentenced to 30 years in prison in October 9, - Mexican authorities confirm that Mexican marines killed Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, leader of the Zetas cartel, in a shootout on October 7.

Lazcano's body was stolen from a funeral home on October 8, but authorities had already taken fingerprints and photographs to confirm his identity. August 20, - Mario Ramirez-Trevino, ranking member of the Gulf cartel and also known as "X," is captured in Reynosa, a city in Tamaulipas state.

He was one of the leaders and main founders of La Familia Michoacana cartel. This is the second time Mexican officials have claimed Moreno is dead. They also announced his death in In , US authorities announce additional charges against Carrillo Fuentes including "running a continuing criminal enterprise" and other related crimes. He has remained in Mexican custody since his arrest while authorities continue to seek his extradition to the US. July 11, - "El Chapo" escapes through a hole in his cell block that led to a tunnel nearly a mile long.

Guzman previously escaped from prison in in a laundry cart and eluded authorities for more than a dozen years until his capture in January 8, - Mexican security forces arrest Guzman in Sinaloa. While on the run, he met with actor Sean Penn in October for an interview published in Rolling Stone.

January 29, - A cross-border raid by US and Mexican law enforcement officials results in the arrest of 24 Sinaloa cartel members. The sting also netted weapons and hundreds of pounds of narcotics. In , Leyva is sentenced to life in prison.

March 14, - Veracruz State Attorney General Jorge Winckler confirms that a mass grave containing more than human skulls has been uncovered.

The remains appear to be victims of organized crime violence killed in recent years. December 19, - The US Department of Justice announces the extradition from Mexico to the US of two alleged former Mexican drug cartel leaders -- Ramirez-Trevino, alleged former leader of the Mexican Gulf Cartel, and an associate of Guzman, Victor Manuel Felix-Felix, alleged leader of a Mexican money laundering and cocaine trafficking organization.

Ramirez-Trevino was charged and arrested in and has been in Mexican custody since. He said the cartel can easily shift to other routes if its existing supply lines are compromised. And even if she were able to give up corrupt government officials, there are plenty more where they came from. El Chapo's criminal trial featured no fewer than 14 cooperating witnesses. They included Chicago twins Peter and Jay Flores, top-level traffickers for the organization who kept the drugs flowing to America's heartland, and the money flowing to El Chapo.

Today, the Flores twins are in hiding, but their wives spoke exclusively with "American Greed. They live under assumed names, and "American Greed" agreed to keep the location of the interview a secret. And they were able to navigate both worlds," Olivia told "American Greed. Every good moment in our family was always overshadowed by a bad moment," said Mia. Ultimately, caught in the middle of an internal cartel skirmish, the twins reached out to U.

Vicente Zambada, who is serving a year prison term after pleading guilty to reduced charges, testified against El Chapo while Coronel watched in the courtroom. That has further fueled speculation that Coronel might be willing to turn on the organization. The fact that the organization seems to barely miss a beat even as its leaders turn on one another shows the folly of U.

Grillo said that while it is important not to let drug lords operate with impunity, a better strategy involves taking aim at the stakes in the drug trade. He said that means more resources to treat drug addiction and to take aim at organized crime and corruption in Mexico.

These cartels control vast areas of the country and are also responsible for political corruption, assassinations and kidnappings. Territory: Much of the north-west. The US government has described the Sinaloa Cartel as one of the largest drug-trafficking organisations in the world.

His life and vast drug-trafficking empire have been the subject of numerous books and TV series. Under his leadership, the cartel garnered a fierce reputation for violence and outfought several rival groups.

Mexican cartels often clash with one another, but it's also worth noting that they can form strategic alliances as well. The cartel kidnapped, tortured and slaughtered members of rival criminal gangs. But in July , the drug lord was sentenced to life in prison following one of the most high-profile trials in recent US history. His jailing led to an increase of violence in the region as other groups sought to take advantage. Despite this, the Sinaloa Cartel remains hugely powerful. It still dominates north-west Mexico and is reported to have a presence in cities ranging from Buenos Aires to New York.

It also continues to make billions of dollars from trafficking illicit narcotics to the US, Europe and Asia, experts say. They fought street battles with the army in broad daylight, set fire to vehicles, and even staged a prison break before their leader was eventually freed. It was a sign the group remains an immensely powerful force.

Territory: The west, mainly the Tierra Caliente region. Formed in about , the Jalisco cartel is the strongest and most aggressive competitor to the Sinaloa. The group has expanded rapidly across Mexico and is now one of the country's most dominant organised crime groups. The cartel is led by Ruben Oseguera, known as "El Mencho", a former police officer who is Mexico's most wanted man.

The bounty for his capture? The Jalisco cartel is one of the main distributors of synthetic drugs on the continent, according to the US government.

It is a key player in the illegal amphetamine market in the US and Europe and is also thought to have links to the drug market in Asia. It has grown much more powerful in recent years and its rise has been fuelled by its use of extreme violence. Indeed, the cartel has gained notoriety for a series of attacks on security forces and public officials. It has downed an army helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade, killed dozens of state officials, and has even been known to hang the bodies of its victims from bridges to intimidate its rivals.