drug cartel
Illegal trafficking network
A drug cartel is a criminal organization that controls the production and distribution of illegal drugs, often across international borders.
Cartels use violence, bribery, and territorial control to dominate markets and eliminate competition.
The term is most associated with powerful organizations in Mexico and Colombia: The Sinaloa cartel dominated the cocaine trade for decades.
- kingpinCriminal organization's leader
- sicarioHired killer, Latin American
- smugglingIllegal covert transport
- tunnel networkConnected underground passages
- fentanylSynthetic pain-blocking compound
organized crime · syndicate · narcotics · corruption · money laundering · blood money · plaza · methamphetamine · narcotrafficking · distribution · stash house · safe house · cocaine · racketeering · witness protection · contraband · criminal enterprise · narco state
- crimerobbery, accomplice, alibi, burglary, conspiracy
- criminal groupsgang, mafia, mob, syndicate, crime family
- drug enforcementDEA, narcotics, interdiction, trafficking, seizure
- nonstate actorsmilitia, insurgent, rebel group, guerrilla, paramilitary
- organized crimemafia, mob, the mob, syndicate, crime syndicate
- smugglingcontraband, smugglers, human smuggling, smuggling rings, people smuggling
drug cartelhumanitarian organization
Group helping those in need
charity · nonprofit organization · Doctors Without Borders · Red Cross · relief agency
drug cartellaw enforcement agency
Body that upholds statutes
DEA · police force · government authority · federal agency · Interpol
drug, drugs, drugged, cartel, drugging, pharmaceutical, druggist