https://www.history.com/topics/history-of-drug-trafficking Flashcards
https://www.history.com/topics/history-of-drug-trafficking
Drug trafficking in the United States dates back to the 19th century. From opium to marijuana to cocaine, a variety of substances have been illegally imported, sold and distributed throughout U.S. history
https://www.history.com/topics/history-of-drug-trafficking
In the late 1970s, the illegal cocaine trade became a major moneymaking opportunity throughout the world. The Medellin Cartel, an organized group of drug suppliers and smugglers based in the city of Medellin, Colombia, began operating during this time.
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In 1975, Colombian police seized 600 kilos of cocaine from a plane. Drug traffickers retaliated by killing 40 people during one weekend in what became known as the “Medellin Massacre.” The event triggered years of violence that led to assassinations, kidnappings and raids.
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During the peak of its reign, the Medellin cartel brought in up to $60 million a day in drug profits.
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The Medellin cartel surged to power in the 1980s. It was run by brothers Jorge Luis, Juan David, and Fabio Ochoa Vasquez; Pablo Escobar; Carlos Lehder; George Jung; and Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha.
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When the Medellin cartel was brought down, the Cali Cartel stepped up. This organized operation emerged in the early 90s and was based in southern Colombia.
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Its founding leaders included brothers Gilberto and Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela; Jose Santacruz Londoño (also known as “Chepe”); and Hélmer Herrera (also known as “Pacho”).
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At the peak of the Cali Cartel, it was thought to have control over about 80 percent of the cocaine supplied to the United States. By the mid-90s, the organization became a multi-billion-dollar smuggling business.
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In 1995, top Cali cartel members were captured and arrested. A year later, all of the Cali kingpins were behind bars.
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The Sinaloa Federation, which is still operating today, is perhaps the largest and most well-known Mexican drug cartel. It’s also known as the “Pacific Cartel,” the “Guzman-Loera Organization,” the “Federation,” and the “Blood Alliance.”The infamous drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman led Sinaloa beginning in 1989. In 2003
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According to the U.S. Attorney General’s office, the Sinaloa cartel imported and distributed almost 200 tons of cocaine and large amounts of heroin between 1990-2008.
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Another Mexican cartel, known as Gulf, started in the 1920s but didn’t gain ground in the area of drug trafficking until the 1980s. Gulf became one of Sinaloa’s main rivals in the 2000s. The Gulf Cartel worked with Los Zetas, a group made up of former elite members of the Mexican military. Representatives of Los Zetas essentially worked as hitmen for Gulf.
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Los Zetas had a reputation for ruthless violence that included leaving body parts in public places and posting killings on the Internet. The group’s former leader, Miguel Angel Treviño, was arrested in 2013.
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Newer cartels have emerged in recent years, and some have formed after breaking with old alliances.
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Organizations in the Middle East, including the Taliban and al-Qaida, have become major players in the production and shipment of illegal drugs.
