Understanding the criminal networks and alliances that Mexican drug cartels operate within is essential in order to understand how they maintain their power and wealth. They often rely on smaller organizations and criminals to provide drug trafficking routes to different cities, thus allowing them easy access to lucrative markets.

Mexican drug cartels also employ criminal associates like lawyers, medical professionals, accountants, couriers and assassins to help conceal their activities. Investigating these relationships can be an invaluable tool for law enforcement in order to gain insight into the operations of these cartels.

The extent of these criminal networks also cannot be underestimated as they often reach beyond Mexican borders and stretch deep within the United States. For example, Mexican drug cartels have formed alliances with American street gangs in order to increase their influence in the country.

This can be especially dangerous as these gangs may have access to guns and other weapons, making law enforcement efforts more difficult. In addition, U.S.-based cartel facilitators such as money launderers and real estate investors provide key financial support which allow drug cartels to survive and grow their operations. Understanding the intricate web of allies that form Mexico’s drug cartels is a vital step for law enforcement in effectively tackling this organized crime.