The **Sinaloa Cartel** is a powerful transnational organized crime syndicate based in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, primarily engaged in illegal drug trafficking, money laundering, and related criminal enterprises. Founded in the late 1960s by Pedro Avilés Pérez, it initially specialized in smuggling marijuana into the United States using pioneering techniques such as aircraft transport. Over time, the cartel evolved into one of the largest and most violent drug trafficking organizations worldwide, controlling significant drug routes across Mexico and internationally[1]. The cartel's operations include transporting cocaine from South America and producing methamphetamine and fentanyl in clandestine labs. It also generates revenue through extortion, taxation of smaller criminal groups, human trafficking, and other illicit activities. The Sinaloa Cartel exerts influence across western Mexico, including key states such as Sinaloa, Sonora, Durango, and Chihuahua, and maintains global connections, notably sourcing precursor chemicals from China[2][3]. Its organizational structure is decentralized with multiple factions, especially after the 2017 arrest of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, a notorious leader. Currently, factions led by "El Mayo" Zambada, Rafael Caro Quintero, El Chapo’s sons (Los Chapitos), and others compete internally, causing violent conflicts and instability in the region[3]. The cartel is infamous for employing extreme violence, corruption, bribery, and sophisticated communications technology to maintain control and expand its operations. It has deeply infiltrated Mexican political and security institutions, exemplified by the arrest of former Mexican security chief Genaro Garcia Luna for accepting bribes from the cartel[2][4]. The cartel's violent tactics were dramatically displayed during the 2019 and 2023 "Culiacanazos," where armed attacks disrupted entire cities to secure the release of captured leaders[4]. In recent years, the U.S. government has intensified efforts against the cartel, desig