Cárteles Unidos
The Cárteles Unidos (CU) is a criminal organization that was born out of an alliance between the Cartel de Tepalcatepec,…
How Criminal Groups Help Expand Mexico’s Multibillion-Dollar Avocado Industry
The boom of Mexico’s avocado market has been accompanied by heightened criminal activity in avocado-growing regions, particularly the state of…
‘Mula’: The Bridge Between MS13 and Mexican Mafia in Tijuana, Mexico
One afternoon in 1993, Nelson Alexander Flores Pacheco, better known as “Mula” within the MS13, took his knife, stabbed a…
How a Priest in Mexico Resists the CJNG’s Incursions
It was around midday when the armed gunmen entered the chapel. Father Rafael Bonilla López** was administering mass. In his…
CJNG Control of Illegal Mining in Michoacán, Mexico, Claiming Indigenous Lives
Indigenous communities are up in arms in Michoacán, Mexico, after a series of murders and disappearances have been connected to…