Authorities in the State of Mexico —the most populous entity in the country— say the introduction of a new cartel has contributed to the high levels of crime experienced in the state in the last two years.
Concretely, officials are talking about the Caborca Cartel, once led by Rafael Caro Quintero alias "El Narco de narcos," one of Mexico's first major king pins who co-founded the now-defunct Guadalajara Cartel.
"El Narco de Narcos" spent 28 years behind bars after being found guilty in the 1985 murder of U.S. Drug Administration Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. Although he was freed in 2013, Caro Quintero was arrested for a second time in 2022 in the state of Sinaloa.
But while he was free, "El Narco de Narcos" founded the Caborca Cartel in 2017 and quickly expanded its reach from Sonora to other states across Mexico. As of now, the Caborca Cartel operates in the states of Quintana Roo, Chihuahua, Baja California Sur and in the State of Mexico, where they have an ongoing fight with the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) as well as La Unión Tepito for control of certain territories.
According to data from the Attorney General's Office in the State of Mexico, the criminal group known as La Familia Michoacana is another criminal group with a strong presence in the entity.
Despite the strong competition, a report from Mexican news outlet Milenio says that the Caborca Cartel was able to establish its enterprise in the State of Mexico with the help of Los Peluches, another criminal organization known for carrying out extortions in public transport.
According to reports, the Caborca Cartel is now led by one of Caro Quintero's nephews identified as "El 03." The cartel also focuses on extorting, kidnapping and drug trafficking.
Caborca Cartel present in 10 municipalities across the State of Mexico
The Milenio report has identified 10 popular municipalities in which the criminal organization counts with a strong presence. Santa Ana Jilotzingo, Tlalnepantla, Nicolás Romero, Naucalpan, Huehuetoca, Huixquilican, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Atizapán de Zaragoza and Isidro Fabela are the ones under the control of "El 03."
State of Mexico ranks in the top three in terms of homicides
With so many criminal groups trying to assert their dominance in the area it is no wonder why the State of Mexico has turned into one of Mexico's bloodiest entities. According to data from the National Public Security System (SESNSP), between January and October, only Guanajuato (2,597) and Baja California (2.030) reported more homicides during that span than the State of Mexico (1,936).
The homicide rate in the entity was nearly three times the national average during Jan-Oct of 2024, averaging seven homicides per day.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
