Latest news with #Ismael'ElMayo'Zambada
Boston Globe
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Cartel-plagued Mexican city pins hopes on Trump's anti-drug trafficking pressure
This is the first extended period of violence that has touched Culiacan's residents because there was safety in the cartel's total domination. Now, many residents are grateful for the pressure applied by U.S. President Donald Trump to get Mexico to go after the cartels and some are optimistic that this difficult period could change the persistent view that the cartel has been their protector. 'Tired of being among the bullets' Advertisement It started in September, more than a month after Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada — the Sinaloa cartel's oldest and most astute leader — says he was kidnapped by one of the sons of former leader Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán and taken to the U.S. where they were both arrested. It unleashed a power struggle between both cartel factions and the unwritten agreement to not attack residents uninvolved in the drug trade was broken. There were carjackings, kidnappings, innocents caught in crossfires and cartel roadblocks where gunmen would scan people's cell phones looking for any trace of contact with the other side. According to government data, there have been more than 900 killings since September. A resident of Costa Rica, a small town south of the capital, traced the front line on the horizon: on one side the 'Chapos,' on the other the 'Mayos.' He, like most others, requested anonymity because of the danger. An old man there said he saw gunmen dump two bodies in the street. And sometimes people just disappear. Julio Héctor Carrillo, 34, never arrived home from visiting a relative in late January. According to his brother-in-law, Mario Beltrán, his only transgression was not respecting the locals' self-imposed curfew. Advertisement His family didn't dare to put up signs for their search, instead sticking to social platforms. A search collective looking for the disappeared found a body that is undergoing DNA testing. 'At no other time in the last 30 to 40 years that we have crime stats, have we had so many families with disappeared (relatives),' said Miguel Calderón of the State Public Security Council, a citizen organization. Some are simply picked up, interrogated and released, but others end up on the wall of faces at Culiacan's cathedral. 'Truly, we're very tired, very tired of being among the bullets,' said a 38-year-old small business owner who has imposed his own family security protocol: no cycling for their 18-year-old son, who they take everywhere, including to visit his girlfriend, and track in real time through his cell phone. Their 7-year-old daughter asks in the morning: ''Dad, am I going to be able to go to school today? Did you already check (Facebook)?'' 'There are things you can't hide from children,' he said. US: The solution or the problem? How Mexican authorities are addressing the violence has changed notably in the past month and locals believe Trump is the reason. When it started, Mexico was led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who minimized cartel violence and expressed no interest in going after cartel leaders. His close ally, Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha did the same. Rocha's spokesman, Feliciano Castro, maintains that the U.S. set off the violence by arresting Zambada. Things changed when Trump won the election. Shutting down illegal immigration and going after drug traffickers were among his campaign promises and he's threatened to impose 25% tariffs Tuesday. Mexico's new President Claudia Sheinbaum had already shown herself willing to take a more aggressive hand with the cartels, especially Sinaloa, whose main business is fentanyl. Advertisement The number of security operations and arrests in Sinaloa have multiplied and now there is direct federal supervision of all security action. 'We have never seen such an overwhelming and daily operation against the cartels,' said Ismael Bojórquez, a veteran Sinaloa journalist covering organized crime, who was critical of López Obrador's hands-off approach. In December, authorities seized more than a ton of fentanyl in Sinaloa compared to just 286 pounds in all of Mexico in the first six months of 2024. In the last 10 days of February, authorities dismantled 113 synthetic drug labs, according to preliminary state data. Authorities have not clarified if they produced fentanyl or methamphetamine. It's unknown what, if any, role U.S. intelligence played. In Culiacan, authorities took down more than 400 cartel surveillance cameras, double what authorities had. The recent actions have weakened both cartel factions but the government can't let up if it really wants to decimate them, Bojórquez said. 'I never thought (Trump) would have so much power to do that … but I'm grateful,' said the owner of a beer store stopped at a police checkpoint. A 55-year-old woman sitting on a bench watching a forensics team load a murder victim's body into a truck agreed. The day before, she had attended a Mass for her son-in-law who was killed five months earlier by a stray bullet while he was walking with his daughter a few blocks away. 'We leave home but we don't know if we'll return,' she said. Advertisement Overcome fear, build peace In the halls of Socrates Elementary school in downtown Culiacan, signs explain what to do in case of a shootout and children drill suddenly dropping to the ground when the alarm sounds. Principal Victor Manuel Aispuro says he can't remember what it was like to have all of his nearly 400 students in school. Some 80 families fled the city and there were days when no more than 10 kids attended. He decides each day if there will be in-person classes. The last time he closed was late last month when intense firefights and low-flying helicopters panicked residents. Two key cartel members were arrested. In January, one of his students, a 9-year-old boy, was killed along with his 12-year-old brother and their father in a carjacking. Thousands of residents took to the streets in a rare public display of indignation. At a workshop, a nongovernmental organization of ex-police led students through an exercise writing down what scares them. One listed spiders, gun shots and white trucks (the preferred cartel transportation). Another said he's afraid of being extorted or killed. 'The people are full of a sense of collective anguish, anxiety, social anger and that's different from other crises,' said Calderón, the coordinator of the citizen security group. He said he hopes it could dissolve the complicity of citizens, who for years saw the cartel as protectors, heroes or figures to emulate.
Al-Ahram Weekly
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
A look at the 8 Latin American crime groups designated as terrorist organizations by the US - International
The United States government is formally designating eight Latin American organized crime groups that also operate in the U.S. to be 'foreign terrorist organizations.' They are involved in drug trafficking, and migrant smuggling and extend their territory through violence. The Trump administration is applying a 'terrorist' designation that's normally reserved for groups like the Islamic State group or al-Qaida that use violence for political ends — not for money-focused crime rings such as the Latin American cartels. The aim is to increase pressure on the groups and anyone who the U.S. sees as aiding them. The designation will be published in Thursday's edition of the Federal Register, according to a notice Wednesday. Here's a look at the eight Latin American drug cartels labelled as foreign terrorist organizations: Sinaloa Cartel — Mexico The Sinaloa Cartel, through various incarnations, is Mexico's oldest criminal group – dating to the 1970s. It is a criminal conglomerate, an umbrella of sorts for various groups, based in the mountains of the state by the same name in northwest Mexico. It holds firm control of the western portion of the U.S.-Mexico border. Sinaloa moves all sorts of drugs across continents using boats, planes, migrants and cross-border tunnels. It's considered the most corrupt criminal organization in Mexico. A former security chief was convicted of helping them. One of their most lucrative businesses in recent years has been the production of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, blamed for tens of thousands of overdose deaths each year in the U.S. Sinaloa imports the precursor chemicals from China, produces the drug and smuggles it across the border. The arrest of Sinaloa's eldest leader, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada in July set off months of internal jockeying for power between Zambada loyalists and sons of the cartel's best-known former leader Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, already serving a life sentence in the U.S. Jalisco New Generation Cartel — Mexico The gruesome discovery of some thirty dismembered bodies dumped in the hotel zone of Veracruz in 2011 announced the arrival of the 'Zeta Killers,' who soon established themselves as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a hyper-violent and fast-growing group that spread through sort of franchise agreements with local gangs. Jalisco, named for a west-central Mexican state where it's based, has aggressively attacked Mexican authorities, including military helicopters, using explosive-dropping drones and improvised explosive devices. It even attempted a spectacular assassination of the then-Mexico City police chief — now Mexico's security director — in the heart of the capital. Led by Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says Jalisco distributes tons of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl in all 50 states. Gulf Cartel and Northeast Cartel — Mexico Both the Gulf Cartel and Northeast Cartel operate along the eastern end of the U.S.-Mexico border, moving drugs, immigrants, guns and money in what is the most direct route to the U.S. from Central and South America. The Gulf Cartel has a long history in Mexico but has fractured in recent years spurring frequent clashes between factions. Its former leader, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén (now imprisoned in Mexico after serving a sentence in the U.S.), recruited members of Mexico's military in the late 1990s to form a fearsome element known as the Zetas that eventually split and became their drug trafficking organization. The Northeast Cartel is a remnant of the Zetas. The Northeast cartel has retained a relatively small portion of what the Zetas once ruled through relentless violence. Their base is Nuevo Laredo, the busiest commercial port on the U.S.-Mexico border. La Nueva Familia Michoacana and United Cartels — Mexico These local organized crime groups, operating in west-central Mexico, produce synthetic drugs, but they are a concern to the U.S. because of something else: avocados. Security analyst David Saucedo points out that the state of Michoacan exports $2.8 billion of avocados, a trade threatened by local criminal groups. U.S. inspectors working in Michoacan checking for pests have been threatened on multiple occasions by these groups, which control production and, to an extent, the price of avocados through extortion and threats to growers. Tren de Aragua — Venezuela This organized crime group emerged from a prison in central Venezuela more than a decade ago. In recent years, it has spread from Chile to the United States, capitalizing on the exodus of some 8 million Venezuelans escaping their country's political and economic crises. While its origins are in drug trafficking, its main businesses are migrant smuggling, human trafficking, sexual exploitation and forced labour. It's known for extreme violence — decapitations and burying victims alive — that has generated panic in countries across the hemisphere. U.S. authorities say Tren de Aragua insinuated itself into criminal networks in South America, launders its proceeds through cryptocurrencies and now poses a threat in various U.S. cities. Trump and his allies have seized on the gang's presence and made it the face of the alleged threat posed by undocumented immigrants. Mara Salvatrucha — El Salvador Also known as MS-13, this violent street gang was one that Trump seized on during his first presidency as the threat posed by immigration, much like he's using Tren de Aragua now. What he failed to mention was that it originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s in communities made up largely of refugees from El Salvador's civil war and other immigrants, but grew to include many U.S. citizens in its ranks. In the U.S. the gang is known for brutal violence and street-level drug drug sales. Deported Salvadorans spread the gang to El Salvador where it quickly grew, corrupting and overwhelming local authorities. The gang and its rivals controlled swaths of territory, forcibly recruiting and extorting residents. The gang has been severely weakened in El Salvador since President Nayib Bukele launched an all-out assault on it and other street gangs nearly three years ago. His administration has arrested more than 80,000 people during that time for alleged gang ties, though civil rights groups say there has been little due process. Short link:
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A look at the 8 Latin American crime groups designated as terrorist organizations by the US
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The United States government is formally designating eight Latin American organized crime groups that also operate in the U.S. to be 'foreign terrorist organizations.' They are involved in drug trafficking, migrant smuggling and extend their territory through violence. The Trump administration is applying a 'terrorist' designation that's normally reserved for groups like the Islamic State group or al-Qaida that use violence for political ends — not for money-focused crime rings such as the Latin American cartels. The aim is to increase pressure on the groups and anyone who the U.S. sees as aiding them. The designation will be published in Thursday's edition of the Federal Register, according to a notice Wednesday. Here's a look at the eight Latin American drug cartels labeled as foreign terrorist organizations: See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Sinaloa Cartel — Mexico The Sinaloa Cartel, through various incarnations, is Mexico's oldest criminal group – dating to the 1970s. It is a criminal conglomerate, an umbrella of sorts for various groups, based in the mountains of the state by the same name in northwest Mexico. It holds firm control of the western portion of the U.S.-Mexico border. Sinaloa moves all sorts of drugs across continents using boats, planes, migrants and cross-border tunnels. It's considered the most corrupting criminal organization in Mexico. A former security chief was convicted of helping them. One of their most lucrative businesses in recent years has been the production of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, blamed for tens of thousands of overdose deaths each year in the U.S. Sinaloa imports the precursor chemicals from China, produces the drug and smuggles it across the border. The arrest of Sinaloa's eldest leader, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada in July set off months of internal jockeying for power between Zambada loyalists and sons of the cartel's best known former leader Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, already serving a life sentence in the U.S. Jalisco New Generation Cartel — Mexico The gruesome discovery of some thirty dismembered bodies dumped in the hotel zone of Veracruz in 2011 announced the arrival of the 'Zeta Killers,' who soon established themselves as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a hyper-violent and fast-growing group that spread through sort of franchise agreements with local gangs. Jalisco, named for a west-central Mexican state where it's based, has aggressively attacked Mexican authorities, including military helicopters, using explosive-dropping drones and improvised explosive devices. It even attempted a spectacular assassination of the then-Mexico City police chief — now Mexico's security director — in the heart of the capital. Led by Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says Jalisco distributes tons of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl in all 50 states. Gulf Cartel and Northeast Cartel — Mexico Both the Gulf Cartel and Northeast Cartel operate along the eastern end of the U.S.-Mexico border, moving drugs, immigrants, guns and money in what is the most direct route to the U.S. from Central and South America. The Gulf Cartel has a long history in Mexico, but has fractured in recent years spurring frequent clashes between factions. Its former leader, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén (now imprisoned in Mexico after serving a sentence in the U.S.), recruited members of Mexico's military in the late 1990s to form a fearsome element known as the Zetas that eventually split and became their own drug trafficking organization. The Northeast Cartel is a remnant of the Zetas. The Northeast cartel has retained a relatively small portion of what the Zetas once ruled through relentless violence. Their base is Nuevo Laredo, the busiest commercial port on the U.S.-Mexico border. La Nueva Familia Michoacana and United Cartels — Mexico These local organized crime groups, operating in west-central Mexico, produce synthetic drugs, but they are a concern to the U.S. because of something else: avocados. Security analyst David Saucedo points out that the state of Michoacan exports $2.8 billion of avocados, a trade threatened by local criminal groups. U.S. inspectors working in Michoacan checking for pests have been threatened on multiple occasions by these groups, which control production and, to an extent, the price of avocados through extortion and threats to growers. Tren de Aragua — Venezuela This organized crime group emerged from a prison in central Venezuela more than a decade ago. In recent years, it has spread from Chile to the United States, capitalizing on the exodus of some 8 million Venezuelans escaping their country's political and economic crises. While its origins are in drug trafficking, its main businesses are migrant smuggling, human trafficking, sexual exploitation and forced labor. It's known for extreme violence — decapitations and burying victims alive — that has generated panic in countries across the hemisphere. U.S. authorities say Tren de Aragua insinuated itself into criminal networks in South America, launders its proceeds through crypto currencies and now poses a threat in various U.S. cities. Trump and his allies have seized on the gang's presence and made it the face of the alleged threat posed by undocumented immigrants. Mara Salvatrucha — El Salvador Also known as MS-13, this violent street gang was one that Trump seized on during his first presidency as the threat posed by immigration, much like he's using Tren de Aragua now. What he failed to mention was that it originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s in communities made up largely of refugees from El Salvador's civil war and other immigrants, but grew to include many U.S. citizens in its ranks. In the U.S. the gang is known for brutal violence and street-level drug drug sales. Deported Salvadorans spread the gang to El Salvador where it quickly grew, corrupting and overwhelming local authorities. The gang and its rivals controlled swaths of territory, forcibly recruiting and extorting residents. The gang has been severely weakened in El Salvador since President Nayib Bukele launched an all-out assault on it and other street gangs nearly three years ago. His administration has arrested more than 80,000 people during that time for alleged gang ties, though civil rights groups say there has been little due process. __ AP journalist Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, D.C. contributed to this report.
The Independent
19-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
A look at the 8 Latin American crime groups designated as terrorist organizations by the US
The United States government is formally designating eight Latin American organized crime groups that also operate in the U.S. to be 'foreign terrorist organizations.' They are involved in drug trafficking, migrant smuggling and extend their territory through violence. The Trump administration is applying a 'terrorist' designation that's normally reserved for groups like the Islamic State group or al-Qaida that use violence for political ends — not for money-focused crime rings such as the Latin American cartels. The aim is to increase pressure on the groups and anyone who the U.S. sees as aiding them. The designation will be published in Thursday's edition of the Federal Register, according to a notice Wednesday. Here's a look at the eight Latin American drug cartels labeled as foreign terrorist organizations: Sinaloa Cartel — Mexico The Sinaloa Cartel, through various incarnations, is Mexico's oldest criminal group – dating to the 1970s. It is a criminal conglomerate, an umbrella of sorts for various groups, based in the mountains of the state by the same name in northwest Mexico. It holds firm control of the western portion of the U.S.-Mexico border. Sinaloa moves all sorts of drugs across continents using boats, planes, migrants and cross-border tunnels. It's considered the most corrupting criminal organization in Mexico. A former security chief was convicted of helping them. One of their most lucrative businesses in recent years has been the production of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, blamed for tens of thousands of overdose deaths each year in the U.S. Sinaloa imports the precursor chemicals from China, produces the drug and smuggles it across the border. The arrest of Sinaloa's eldest leader, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada in July set off months of internal jockeying for power between Zambada loyalists and sons of the cartel's best known former leader Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, already serving a life sentence in the U.S. Jalisco New Generation Cartel — Mexico The gruesome discovery of some thirty dismembered bodies dumped in the hotel zone of Veracruz in 2011 announced the arrival of the 'Zeta Killers,' who soon established themselves as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a hyper-violent and fast-growing group that spread through sort of franchise agreements with local gangs. Jalisco, named for a west-central Mexican state where it's based, has aggressively attacked Mexican authorities, including military helicopters, using explosive-dropping drones and improvised explosive devices. It even attempted a spectacular assassination of the then- Mexico City police chief — now Mexico's security director — in the heart of the capital. Led by Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says Jalisco distributes tons of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl in all 50 states. Gulf Cartel and Northeast Cartel — Mexico Both the Gulf Cartel and Northeast Cartel operate along the eastern end of the U.S.-Mexico border, moving drugs, immigrants, guns and money in what is the most direct route to the U.S. from Central and South America. The Gulf Cartel has a long history in Mexico, but has fractured in recent years spurring frequent clashes between factions. Its former leader, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén (now imprisoned in Mexico after serving a sentence in the U.S.), recruited members of Mexico's military in the late 1990s to form a fearsome element known as the Zetas that eventually split and became their own drug trafficking organization. The Northeast Cartel is a remnant of the Zetas. The Northeast cartel has retained a relatively small portion of what the Zetas once ruled through relentless violence. Their base is Nuevo Laredo, the busiest commercial port on the U.S.-Mexico border. La Nueva Familia Michoacana and United Cartels — Mexico These local organized crime groups, operating in west-central Mexico, produce synthetic drugs, but they are a concern to the U.S. because of something else: avocados. Security analyst David Saucedo points out that the state of Michoacan exports $2.8 billion of avocados, a trade threatened by local criminal groups. U.S. inspectors working in Michoacan checking for pests have been threatened on multiple occasions by these groups, which control production and, to an extent, the price of avocados through extortion and threats to growers. Tren de Aragua — Venezuela This organized crime group emerged from a prison in central Venezuela more than a decade ago. In recent years, it has spread from Chile to the United States, capitalizing on the exodus of some 8 million Venezuelans escaping their country's political and economic crises. While its origins are in drug trafficking, its main businesses are migrant smuggling, human trafficking, sexual exploitation and forced labor. It's known for extreme violence — decapitations and burying victims alive — that has generated panic in countries across the hemisphere. U.S. authorities say Tren de Aragua insinuated itself into criminal networks in South America, launders its proceeds through crypto currencies and now poses a threat in various U.S. cities. Trump and his allies have seized on the gang's presence and made it the face of the alleged threat posed by undocumented immigrants. Mara Salvatrucha — El Salvador Also known as MS-13, this violent street gang was one that Trump seized on during his first presidency as the threat posed by immigration, much like he's using Tren de Aragua now. What he failed to mention was that it originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s in communities made up largely of refugees from El Salvador's civil war and other immigrants, but grew to include many U.S. citizens in its ranks. In the U.S. the gang is known for brutal violence and street-level drug drug sales. Deported Salvadorans spread the gang to El Salvador where it quickly grew, corrupting and overwhelming local authorities. The gang and its rivals controlled swaths of territory, forcibly recruiting and extorting residents. The gang has been severely weakened in El Salvador since President Nayib Bukele launched an all-out assault on it and other street gangs nearly three years ago. His administration has arrested more than 80,000 people during that time for alleged gang ties, though civil rights groups say there has been little due process. __
The Hill
19-02-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
A look at the 8 Latin American crime groups designated as terrorist organizations by the US
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The United States government is formally designating eight Latin American organized crime groups that also operate in the U.S. to be 'foreign terrorist organizations.' They are involved in drug trafficking, migrant smuggling and extend their territory through violence. The Trump administration is applying a 'terrorist' designation that's normally reserved for groups like the Islamic State group or al-Qaida that use violence for political ends — not for money-focused crime rings such as the Latin American cartels. The aim is to increase pressure on the groups and anyone who the U.S. sees as aiding them. The designation will be published in Thursday's edition of the Federal Register, according to a notice Wednesday. Here's a look at the eight Latin American drug cartels labeled as foreign terrorist organizations: Sinaloa Cartel — Mexico The Sinaloa Cartel, through various incarnations, is Mexico's oldest criminal group – dating to the 1970s. It is a criminal conglomerate, an umbrella of sorts for various groups, based in the mountains of the state by the same name in northwest Mexico. It holds firm control of the western portion of the U.S.-Mexico border. Sinaloa moves all sorts of drugs across continents using boats, planes, migrants and cross-border tunnels. It's considered the most corrupting criminal organization in Mexico. A former security chief was convicted of helping them. One of their most lucrative businesses in recent years has been the production of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, blamed for tens of thousands of overdose deaths each year in the U.S. Sinaloa imports the precursor chemicals from China, produces the drug and smuggles it across the border. The arrest of Sinaloa's eldest leader, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada in July set off months of internal jockeying for power between Zambada loyalists and sons of the cartel's best known former leader Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, already serving a life sentence in the U.S. Jalisco New Generation Cartel — Mexico The gruesome discovery of some thirty dismembered bodies dumped in the hotel zone of Veracruz in 2011 announced the arrival of the 'Zeta Killers,' who soon established themselves as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a hyper-violent and fast-growing group that spread through sort of franchise agreements with local gangs. Jalisco, named for a west-central Mexican state where it's based, has aggressively attacked Mexican authorities, including military helicopters, using explosive-dropping drones and improvised explosive devices. It even attempted a spectacular assassination of the then-Mexico City police chief — now Mexico's security director — in the heart of the capital. Led by Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says Jalisco distributes tons of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl in all 50 states. Gulf Cartel and Northeast Cartel — Mexico Both the Gulf Cartel and Northeast Cartel operate along the eastern end of the U.S.-Mexico border, moving drugs, immigrants, guns and money in what is the most direct route to the U.S. from Central and South America. The Gulf Cartel has a long history in Mexico, but has fractured in recent years spurring frequent clashes between factions. Its former leader, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén (now imprisoned in Mexico after serving a sentence in the U.S.), recruited members of Mexico's military in the late 1990s to form a fearsome element known as the Zetas that eventually split and became their own drug trafficking organization. The Northeast Cartel is a remnant of the Zetas. The Northeast cartel has retained a relatively small portion of what the Zetas once ruled through relentless violence. Their base is Nuevo Laredo, the busiest commercial port on the U.S.-Mexico border. La Nueva Familia Michoacana and United Cartels — Mexico These local organized crime groups, operating in west-central Mexico, produce synthetic drugs, but they are a concern to the U.S. because of something else: avocados. Security analyst David Saucedo points out that the state of Michoacan exports $2.8 billion of avocados, a trade threatened by local criminal groups. U.S. inspectors working in Michoacan checking for pests have been threatened on multiple occasions by these groups, which control production and, to an extent, the price of avocados through extortion and threats to growers. Tren de Aragua — Venezuela This organized crime group emerged from a prison in central Venezuela more than a decade ago. In recent years, it has spread from Chile to the United States, capitalizing on the exodus of some 8 million Venezuelans escaping their country's political and economic crises. While its origins are in drug trafficking, its main businesses are migrant smuggling, human trafficking, sexual exploitation and forced labor. It's known for extreme violence — decapitations and burying victims alive — that has generated panic in countries across the hemisphere. U.S. authorities say Tren de Aragua insinuated itself into criminal networks in South America, launders its proceeds through crypto currencies and now poses a threat in various U.S. cities. Trump and his allies have seized on the gang's presence and made it the face of the alleged threat posed by undocumented immigrants. Mara Salvatrucha — El Salvador Also known as MS-13, this violent street gang was one that Trump seized on during his first presidency as the threat posed by immigration, much like he's using Tren de Aragua now. What he failed to mention was that it originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s in communities made up largely of refugees from El Salvador's civil war and other immigrants, but grew to include many U.S. citizens in its ranks. In the U.S. the gang is known for brutal violence and street-level drug drug sales. Deported Salvadorans spread the gang to El Salvador where it quickly grew, corrupting and overwhelming local authorities. The gang and its rivals controlled swaths of territory, forcibly recruiting and extorting residents. The gang has been severely weakened in El Salvador since President Nayib Bukele launched an all-out assault on it and other street gangs nearly three years ago. His administration has arrested more than 80,000 people during that time for alleged gang ties, though civil rights groups say there has been little due process.
