| The Sinaloa Cartel (Spanish: Cártel de Sinaloa or CDS) is an international drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime syndicate. Established during the mid-1980s, the Sinaloa Cartel is based primarily in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, with operations in the Mexican states of Baja California, Durango, Sonora, and Chihuahua. The cartel has been called the Federation and the Blood Alliance. The United States Intelligence Community considers the Sinaloa Cartel "the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world" In 2015, the Sinaloa Cartel was the most active drug cartel involved in smuggling illicit drugs into the United States. |
| The cartel is involved in the smuggling and distribution of Colombian cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin into the United States. The Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona areas are major trans-shipment and distribution points for the cartel. It also has operations in the Philippines as a trans-shipment point for drugs. The major cartels have aligned in two factions: one integrated by the Juárez Cartel, Tijuana Cartel and Los Zetas; the other faction integrated by the Gulf Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel. The Sinaloa Federation has formed alliances with two Chinese Triads, Sun Yee On and the 14K Triad, to acquire the precursor chemicals needed to create synthetic drugs like Meth. |
