According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Mexican drug cartels are the primary suppliers of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl to the United States. The DEA's 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment named fentanyl the deadliest drug in U.S. history.
4.5 tons of pure fentanyl and 434 tons of methamphetamine are produced in Mexico per year “in order to meet the demand of the US consumption market," according to Insight Crime. Investigations show the chemical precursors to these synthetic drugs have been imported from China through companies such as the Zheng drug trafficking organizations.
Along with transporting drugs and people into the U.S., through smuggling, the cartels are at constant war with the Mexican government.
The Mexican government's war on the cartels, initiated in 2006, has led to over 431,000 homicides, with cartels gaining power through corruption and intimidation of officials. Despite U.S. security assistance, including billions in aid, efforts to combat cartel activities have met with limited success.
The rise in cartel-related violence and immigration policies has led to a recent spread of cartel activity in U.S. communities.
The two largest cartels, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), pose threats to both Mexico and the U.S. The CJNG, a splinter group from Sinaloa, has rapidly expanded and now controls a significant portion of the drug trade, including fentanyl production.
Violence and corruption continue to plague Mexico, with human rights violations, such as disappearances and extrajudicial killings, adding to the country’s challenges in dismantling cartel operations.
