A broken Mexico: Allegations of collusion between the Sinaloa Cartel and Mexican political parties

Abstract

In March 2011, Vicente Zambada Niebla-an alleged leader of the Sinaloa Cartel currently on trial in Chicago-filed a motion in court. The apparent lack of a crackdown on the Sinaloa Cartel has spurred criticisms of the Calderon administration, as well as US authorities aiding in the drug fight-some critics contend that the Sinaloa Cartel has enjoyed protection from the authorities. Since Mexican President Felipe Calderon launched his war on drugs in December 2006, his administration has come under fire from various quarters for allegedly protecting or colluding with the Sinaloa Cartel. Zambada Niebla’s latest court motion was the first contemporary mention of possible collusion by US authorities. In Mexico itself, the Sinaloa Cartel has moved in to control both Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez. The Mexican drug trade, after all, began in Sinaloa under the watch of the Institutional Revolutionary Party.