Mexico: The Price of Peace in the Cartel Wars

Austin, TX, May 2, 2007 — Stratfor’s Terrorism Intelligence Report this week focuses on one of Mexico’s most powerful drug trafficking enterprises: the Gulf cartel. In January, the organization suffered a major hit when Mexico extradited its captured leader, Osiel Cardenas, to the United States. The setbacks continued in March and April with the arrests of other cartel figures. During his presidential campaign, Mexican President Felipe Calderon promised to take measures to quell the escalating cartel war — and one way to accomplish that is to destroy one of the war’s two main forces. However, as the Mexican government takes out the Gulf cartel, the other main player, the Sinaloa cartel, will benefit. The collapse of the Gulf cartel also could leave its infamous Zeta enforcers without a master or protection. They could end up in the United States, where there is a lot of money to be made.

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