{"id":352048,"date":"2023-12-02T13:21:08","date_gmt":"2023-12-02T18:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/criminal\/criminal-charges\/drug-cartels-and-organized-crime.html"},"modified":"2023-12-02T13:21:08","modified_gmt":"2023-12-02T18:21:08","slug":"drug-cartels-and-organized-crime","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/criminal\/criminal-charges\/drug-cartels-and-organized-crime.html","title":{"rendered":"Drug Cartels and Organized Crime"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Drug Cartels and Organized Crime<\/h1>\n
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\n By John Mascolo, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

Drug cartels consist of many people who form a sophisticated network that participates in illegal drug activities. State and federal governments dedicate many resources to investigating and disrupting these groups. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Read on to learn more about how drug cartels and organized crime syndicates operate and the laws under which they’re prosecuted. Drug convictions usually have serious consequences, including prison.<\/p>\n

Depending on the case, there may be valid defenses for drug charges. Prosecutors also often have an interest in negotiating lower penalties in exchange for information or testimony against cartel members. <\/p>\n

But all these options need careful consideration. You should consult a criminal defense lawyer<\/a> about how to proceed in your best interests. <\/p>\n

What Is a Drug Cartel?<\/h2>\n

A good working definition for a drug cartel is any organization that promotes, controls, or significantly involves itself with illegal drug trafficking<\/a>. Definitions in laws vary. It may encompass everything from gang members of a local street gang to a transnational criminal organization. <\/p>\n

Often, a drug cartel may expand into other criminal conduct. In recent decades, fear of these groups has had a large impact on the law and on law enforcement.<\/p>\n

Organized crime groups are similar. They often form to engage in illegal business for profit. They may also provide protection for members from law enforcement. An organized crime group may begin with one unlawful trade and then expand into others. For example, certain groups during Prohibition profited from illegal alcohol sales. They later moved into drug trafficking, illegal gambling, and prostitution.<\/p>\n

Background and History of Drug Cartels in the U.S.<\/h2>\n

The history of drug trafficking in the U.S. goes back at least to the 1800s with the importation of opium into California from China. By the early 20th Century, the U.S. saw greater use of heroin and cocaine. Marijuana followed shortly thereafter. By the 1950s, American mafia families engaged in the drug trade known as the "French Connection," where Turkish opium came through France into New York City.<\/p>\n

The Medellin Cartel from Colombia cornered the market on cocaine sales in the U.S. in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. Prosecutions of high-level members of the Colombian cartel brought its dominance to an end. By the 1990s, Mexican drug cartels became the focus of federal law enforcement.<\/p>\n

The danger of drug cartels stems from their organization. Criminal organizations growing in power and influence can destabilize entire communities. In 1920s Chicago, for example, cartels not only engaged in the illegal drug trade (the sale of prohibited alcohol) but were also involved in embezzlement<\/a> schemes, intimidation, extortion<\/a>, and murder. They had so much influence that corrupt government officials and police \u201cconveniently" ignored the perpetrators. In present-day Mexico, drug cartels in border cities engage in violent crime, terrorize citizens, and bribe officials, not unlike the cartels of 1920s Chicago.<\/p>\n

Until the early 1970s, the U.S. had a patchwork of drug laws to combat drug trafficking and abuse. With the passage of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act<\/a> and the Organized Crime Control Act in 1970, U.S. law began to target drug cartels (and organized crime) as a threat to national security. Today, the U.S. government works with Mexican authorities to develop and enforce more stringent laws to prevent drugs from crossing the U.S. border. Law enforcement agencies have also creatively applied existing criminal law.<\/p>\n

Common Charges Against Alleged Cartels<\/h2>\n

Drug cartel members often find themselves embroiled in criminal activities seemingly unrelated to drug trafficking. As a cartel network grows in membership, finances, and influence, the potential for crime grows with it. For example, a drug cartel may earn enough to buy a legitimate business to use for money laundering. The cartel may then use the same business as a front for other crimes. For example, a cartel may run a legal casino or bar and then launder drug money through the business.<\/p>\n

Though not an exhaustive list, the state may levy any of the following charges against members of drug cartels and other organized crime:<\/p>\n