# Drug cartels

You might have heard of this threat before. Drug cartels are criminal organisations that control, sell and traffic illegal drugs. Drug cartels mostly excist in North and South America.

Drug cartels have 2 different enemies.

1. The government. ► They try to stop the cartels because what they do is illegal.
2. Other drug cartels ► Drug cartels fight their rivals to make sure they stay in control of the drug supplies and sales.

You might have heard of the Mexican drug war before. This is the war between Mexican drug cartels and the Mexican government. They started calling it a war around 2006 when they started sending the military to deal with drug cartels.

One of the most important reasons for this war is that these cartels are responsible for 70% of the drugs smuggled into the U.S. Another reason the government is fighting the drug cartels is to reduce drug related violence.

Because of this armed conflict a lot of businesses refuse to settle down in Mexico, this causes a lot of unemployment. Since it is dangerous to settle down in Mexico. Furthermore a lot of people nowadays depend on the drug cartels for making money. Meaning that when the government takes down a cartel it causes even more unemployment.