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Historical figures such as Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo epitomize the transition from a trusted police officer to a leading cartel kingpin, highlighting the blurred lines between criminality and governance.
Escalating Connectivity and Violence
Through the 1980s and into the 2000s, a series of arrests and shootings shattered prior cartels into distinct factions, most notably the Tijuana and Sinaloa cartels. This fragmentation not only resulted in increased violence but also propelled a desperate need for territory and routes into the United States leading to fierce rivalries and bloody conflicts.