Sinaloa cartel - Hamburg Model United Nations

Operations Briefing Manual:
Plomo Liberador
Sinaloa cartel
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Acknowledgements This document has been drafted, laid out, corrected, editorialized and published by a multicultural team of authors from an academic background in their free time without any form of financial compensation. Special Thanks for the creation of this document goes to: The Crisis Directors: Barak Tamir, Nick Lee The National Cabinet Team: Ali Zain Kara, Ana Carolina Ardila, Alicia Spolsky The Purpose of this Guide …is to prepare you for your role as a participant in a diplomatic simulation. We expect that you take the preparation of your topics seriously and that you conduct the negotiations in your committee with exemplary style and formidable resolve. Please do not underestimate the time and effort your fellow delegates and chairs have put into their preparation. Reward and acknowledge their effort by committing a valuable contribution to your committee. Page 2 / 17 Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel Contents WELCOME LETTER 4 FORMAT OF THE CRISIS 5 CRISIS CABINET JOINT CABINET CRISIS FRONT ROOM BACKROOM DIRECTIVES MEETINGS 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 SOFTWARE BRIEFING 6 GOOGLE APPS GOOGLE FORMS GMAIL TWITTER MORE THAN THE SUM OF THE PARTS 6 6 7 7 7 CABINET PROFILE 8 HISTORY TERRITORIES RIVALS POLICY MODUS OPERANDI 8 9 9 9 10 RELATIONS 10 MEXICAN GOVERNMENT: US RELATIONS OTHER ACTORS 10 11 12 CABINET POSITIONS SUMMARY 12 HEAD OF THE SINALOA CARTEL COMMANDER OF THE SPECIAL FORCES COMMANDER OF US GANG AFFILIATIONS DIRECTOR OF STREET INTELLIGENCE-­‐ STREET FALCONS DIRECTOR OF SECURITY FORCES INTELLIGENCE-­‐ GREEN FALCONS LIEUTENANT OF THE UNITED STATES PLAZA LIEUTENANT OF THE US-­‐MEXICO BORDER PLAZA LIEUTENANT OF THE MEXICAN PLAZA ADVISOR OF LATIN AND SOUTH AMERICAN PARTNERS ADVISOR OF INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS 12 13 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 14 RULES OF PROCEDURE 14 SOURCES 17 Page 3 / 17 Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel Welcome Letter Honorable Heads of Cabinet, Delegates, Staff, It is our pleasure to welcome you to the HamMUN 2015 Joint Cabinet Crisis simulation. We in the Crisis Directing Team as well as the the Cabinet Directors and Cabinet Crisis Team members have been eagerly looking forward to this conference for the past months as we dutifully customized and prepared this JCC for you. We cannot wait to see the scenarios be put into effect, and we hope you will find the challenges intriguing, educational, exciting and fun. The goal of the JCC format is to offer a platform for expert delegates to put their skills to the test against some of the best Model UNers in the world and under some of the most challenging conditions. Throughout the sessions, different scenarios will be presented to you -­‐ in different manners -­‐ and it will be up to you to respond in the manner that best suits both your personal policy as well as your cabinet’s. Slip your feet into the shoes of real world positions dealing with life and death issues. The situation is entirely dynamic, change it as you will, seize your power, and pay the consequences. Work together with your cabinet to ensure its success, lead your cabinet to victory over it’s competitors, choose the path of the lone wolf as others crumble at your feet. Be a diplomat, a warmonger, a spy, a hero, a villain, and anything in-­‐between. Find your path to victory and fun as you navigate the challenges of one of the deadliest conflicts currently tormenting the world. Yours sincerely, Barak Tamir Nick Lee Crisis Director Vice Crisis Directo
Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel Format of the Crisis Being a Joint Cabinet Crisis simulation, the format of this conference differs from most other MUN experiences. To ensure all participants are familiar with the format, we strongly advise you to read this section carefully, even those crisis aficionados among us. Crisis In an MUN Crisis, everything is more dynamic. The problems Delegates face change all the time and change in reaction to how they tried to solve the previous ones. This is different from a standard MUN committee where you have a problem, time to prepare for it, come up with a solution, and move on to a different topic. Cabinet In a standard MUN committee, Delegates represent different states. In a Cabinet, an entire room represents a state and the Delegates represent different positions within that state’s cabinet. For example, in a US cabinet you could have the Director of the CIA as one of the positions. Joint Cabinet Crisis In a Joint Cabinet Crisis you have multiple Cabinet rooms, all part of the same Crisis simulation, interacting with one another and effecting the scenario everyone has to face. Front Room The front room is the term used for the Cabinet room of a specific actor. It is where the Delegates and Head of Cabinet sit and deliberate. Delegates represent different cabinet positions in the Front room. There will be 10 delegates in each Front Room. Heads of Cabinet -­‐ Each Front Room will be led by one Head of Cabinet. Backroom -­‐ The Backroom is the term used for the organizers of the Crisis. This is where the Crisis is planned, messages from the Front Room are analyzed and acted upon, and the Crisis and Directing Teams sit. Cabinet Crisis Teams (CCT) -­‐ Each Front Room has a respective Cabinet Crisis Team in the Backroom that analyzes its messages, sends it intelligence reports, acts as the Delegate’s advisors when needed and ensures the balance and fun in its respective Front Room. Cabinet Directors (CD) -­‐ Each Cabinet Crisis Team is led by a Cabinet Director. Ghost Cabinet -­‐ The Ghost Cabinet will be simulating actors which are not represented by Delegates but which the Delegates may want to interact with. For example: the UN, other Cartels, and Interpol. Crisis Directing Team (CDT) -­‐ With 5 CCTs (1 for each Cabinet and the Ghost), the Crisis Directing Team is charged with keeping track of the macro Crisis, making sure everything is balanced between the different CCTs and Front Rooms and that the Backroom operates as a well-­‐oiled machine. Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel Directives Directives are the Crisis equivalent of both a working paper and a resolution, in one combined package. They look the same as standard MUN Resolutions, except that they don’t require preambulatory clauses. There are 4 types of Directives; they are Action Plan, Communique, Press Release, and Portfolio Capability. Every delegate can, and is encouraged, to submit Directives. • Action Plan -­‐ Used for actions you want to employ (as opposed to things you want communicated). For example, if your cabinet wants to deploy a battalion to the Mexican-­‐American border, deploy an information gathering drone, or seal your country’s borders -­‐ these all require Action Plan Directives. • Communique -­‐ Used to officially communicate with an individual, organization or state. This is more covert than using a Press Release Directive. • Press Release -­‐ Used to disseminate information to the general public. This Directive is useful if you want to make something public -­‐ to your civilians, to the world, and to other actors as well. • Portfolio Capability -­‐ There are certain actions that can be done by solely using the capabilities available to a specific Delegate. These actions can be done a lot more covertly and do not require anyone but the Delegate with the respective resources in order to put into effect. Heads of Cabinet have the final say regarding what the Cabinet does. They can choose to not approve an action even if it has overwhelming support in the Front Room. At this point, Delegates can either abandon the action, or seek more covert ways of employing it. Meetings Delegates have the option of requesting meetings with one or more Delegate from different Cabinets. For the meeting to happen, all parties in the meeting must agree to meet, and the backroom must supervise it. The approval, scheduling and monitoring of the meetings are done by the Backroom. Software Briefing In order to facilitate a smooth Crisis discussion, we will utilize a number of different communication mediums, each chosen to meet the needs of the cabinets and crisis directorate. Preferably before the conference starts, we ask that you familiarize yourself with the following: Google Apps Due to the volume with, and the velocity at which we receive crisis directives and communiques, we will be using digital notes throughout the conference. We have configured Google accounts for each cabinet, backroom, and directorate member. You will receive a contact list and log-­‐in credentials in the first committee session. Google Forms In order to coordinate everything, we will collect the majority of requests via a set of forms; links will be provided at the conference. We will respond to submissions in the form as swiftly as possible by email. You can also expect press releases, crisis updates, and delegate messages to be sent to your email. Page 6 / 17 Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel Gmail We will use Gmail for our responses to requests. In order to ensure that messages are not lost, and that your request is handled swiftly and appropriately, we ask that you do not send anything through email, and to instead copy correspondence into the forms we provide. While we understand that initiating contact with foreign cabinets via email is faster than submitting our form, please refrain from doing so. Twitter Especially as the pacing of the crisis increases, we will begin using Twitter both as a way to provide news updates and as a “barometer” for public’s opinion of the crisis. We will provide you with a link to the twitter feed at the start of the crisis; checking it periodically throughout each session is advisable, as the session might not be interrupted to announce or discuss new developments. Capabilities In our JCC simulation, Delegates will receive access to different types of capabilities ranging from local cartel hit squads to CIA predator drones. Capabilities will be made available to Delegates and it will be up to them to decide what exactly the Cabinet at large knows. This is a double edged sword where, for example, the Los Zetas Commander of Special Forces can be given 2 teams, but only declare 1. This could leave him with unparalleled power in command of the second team and leveraging his position within the cabinet and within our world, but hell to pay if his Cabinet members find out that he’s been lying and operating behind their backs. More than the Sum of the Parts Work with other Delegates, both within your Cabinet and with others, to create dynamic, ad-­‐hoc operations executed in cooperation with a variety of units to maximize your chances of success. Think outside of the box, if you are stuck in one area of the map, gain access (by diplomacy or by force) and work another area. If you can’t cripple a Cabinet in all out warfare, fight dirty and cripple them from the inside. The Crisis Directing Team will only step in if absolutely necessary, other than that, the progression of the crisis is limited only by your imagination. Keep track of what resources and forces you have at your disposal through constant communications with the Backroom. Be advised that your Backroom has the final word on everything from amount of resources, to action times, to results of said actions. Page 7 / 17 Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel Cabinet Profile History The Sinaloa cartel is based in the city of Culiacan, in the northern state of Sinaloa in Mexico. The first generation of ‘capos’ (mafia leaders) of this cartel were led by Pedro Avilés Pérez in the late 1960s. Various reports indicate him as the pioneer of aircraft usage to traffic drugs into the United States of America.1 2 In late 1980, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) stipulated that the Sinaloa Cartel was the largest drug trafficking organization operating from Mexico. By 1990, the organization was divided into two: the Tijuana cartel run by the Arellano Felix brothers, and the Sinaloa cartel, led by Hector Luis Palma Salazar, Adrián Gómez González, and Joaquin Guzman Loera.3 According to the Attorney General of the United States, the Sinaloa cartel was responsible for the import and distribution of nearly 200 tons of cocaine and large quantities of heroin between 1990 and 2008 in the United States.4 Guzman was captured in Guatemala on June 9 1993 and extradited to Mexico, where he was incarcerated in a maximum security prison. However, on January 19 2001 he escaped (by hiding in a laundry cart) and returned to control the Sinaloa cartel. 5 On February 25 2009, the US government announced the arrests of 750 members of the Sinaloa Cartel through Operation Xcellerator. It also announced the seizure of more than $59 million in cash, in addition to numerous vehicles, aircrafts, and ships. On February 22 2014, "El Chapo" Guzman was arrested again in a joint operation between US and Mexican authorities in Mazatlan. Following this, he successfully escaped once again on July 11 2015 through a tunnel from the high security prison of El Altiplano, where he was incarcerated.6 7 8 The Sinaloa cartel has been, and continues to be known as "The Blood Alliance". When Hector Luis Palma Salazar "El Guero" was arrested on June 23 1995 by the Mexican Army, his partner Joaquin Guzman Loera took over the leadership of the cartel. 1 Sinaloa Cartel, Mexico's Biggest and Baddest Drug-­‐‑
Trafficking Threat (21 Jul 2014) The Latino Post. At: http://www.latinopost.com/articles/6972/20140721/sinal
oa-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑mexicos-­‐‑biggest-­‐‑baddest-­‐‑drug-­‐‑trafficking-­‐‑
threat.htm 2 El cártel de Sinaloa, su historia criminal en el mundo del narcotráfico (22 Feb 2014) Noticias Univision. At: http://noticias.univision.com/article/1860869/2014-­‐‑02-­‐‑
22/mexico/noticias/el-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑de-­‐‑sinaloa-­‐‑su-­‐‑historia-­‐‑
criminal-­‐‑en-­‐‑el-­‐‑mundo-­‐‑del-­‐‑narcotrafico 3 El cártel de Sinaloa, su historia criminal en el mundo del narcotráfico (22 Feb 2014) Noticias Univision. At: http://noticias.univision.com/article/1860869/2014-­‐‑02-­‐‑
22/mexico/noticias/el-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑de-­‐‑sinaloa-­‐‑su-­‐‑historia-­‐‑
criminal-­‐‑en-­‐‑el-­‐‑mundo-­‐‑del-­‐‑narcotrafico 4 El cártel de Sinaloa, su historia criminal en el mundo del 22/mexico/noticias/el-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑de-­‐‑sinaloa-­‐‑su-­‐‑historia-­‐‑
criminal-­‐‑en-­‐‑el-­‐‑mundo-­‐‑del-­‐‑narcotrafico 5 Sinaloa Cartel. InSight Crime, Investigation and Analysis of Organized Crime. At: http://www.insightcrime.org/mexico-­‐‑
organized-­‐‑crime-­‐‑news/sinaloa-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑profile 6 De Cordoba, Jose (13 June 2009). "The Drug Lord Who Got Away". The Wall Street Journal. 7 'El Chapo' escape: Mexico arrests 13 ex-­‐‑prison execs (19 Sep 2015) RT. At: https://www.rt.com/news/315936-­‐‑
mexico-­‐‑el-­‐‑chapo-­‐‑escape/ 8 Sinaloa Cartel, Mexico's Biggest and Baddest Drug-­‐‑
Trafficking Threat (21 Jul 2014) The Latino Post. At: http://www.latinopost.com/articles/6972/20140721/sinal
oa-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑mexicos-­‐‑biggest-­‐‑baddest-­‐‑drug-­‐‑trafficking-­‐‑
threat.htm narcotráfico (22 Feb 2014) Noticias Univision. At: http://noticias.univision.com/article/1860869/2014-­‐‑02-­‐‑
Page 8 / 17 Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel Territories The Sinaloa Cartel is the oldest, richest, and most powerful international drug gang in Mexico. Named after the state of Sinaloa, the cartel is based in Culiacán, the state’s capital, and controls the “Golden Triangle” (Sonora, Chihuahua, and Durango), in addition to Baja California. The “triangle” area is a major producer of cannabis and opium. 9 10 The cartel’s influence expands outside of Mexico into North America, and even reaches across the ocean to Europe, Australia, West Africa, and the Philippines. Rivals Over the past 10 years, the cartels in Mexico have been involved in an on-­‐going deadly war for territory, unleashing chaos in the country that has resulted in the killings of more than 100,000 people. Their main method of violence has been beheadings, hanging “traitors” from bridges in busy areas of the city, and dissolving bodies in vats of acid.11 They have maintained clashes with the Los Zetas, Gulf, and the Juarez cartels, the latter of which with whom it disputes the state of Chihuahua. It also fights for control of Baja California with the Tijuana Cartel. 12 13 In 2012, the Sinaloa Cartel emerged victorious from a bloody battle with the Juarez Cartel over control of Ciudad Juarez. However, the war with rival cartel, Los Zetas, who in some regions have allied themselves with the remnants of the Beltran Leyva Organization, has spread across the country and raged through the states of Sinaloa, Durango, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Jalisco, even reaching across countries into Guatemala. 14 Policy Contrary to the political guerrillas in South America, the Sinaloa cartel has never been known to have an ideological base. In fact, the cartel has not shown any political ambition at all, and their struggle against the Mexican government and the other cartels for control over the territory can be explained in a purely economic manner. More territory means more cultivable land, more contacts and less competition. 15 In this sense the Sinaloa Cartel behaves more like a for-­‐profit company than as a rebel organization, a company of sorts that offers a product (drugs) in exchange for financial compensation. To see the Sinaloa cartel as an enterprise that does not feel the need to abide by the local, international, or market laws is the best way to understand the organization and its actions. 16 That being said, they have an internal code by which they operate, which consists of control through fear-­‐
tactics and extreme violence. Financial gain dictates their internal policies, and the evidence of a zero-­‐tolerance policy towards traitors can be seen hanging from the bridges in major towns of Mexico in the form of dead informants. 9 Beith, Malcolm (2010). The Last Narco. Grove Press. ISBN 978-­‐‑0-­‐‑8021-­‐‑1952-­‐‑0. http://www.esglobal.org/lista-­‐‑los-­‐‑carteles-­‐‑mas-­‐‑fuertes-­‐‑de-­‐‑
mexico/ 10 Tessa Vinson. The Sinaloa Cartel: A Study in the 14 Sinaloa Cartel. InSight Crime, Investigation and Analysis of Organized Crime. At: http://www.insightcrime.org/mexico-­‐‑organized-­‐‑crime-­‐‑
news/sinaloa-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑profile Dynamics of Power (2009) At: http://web.wm.edu/so/monitor/issues/14-­‐‑2/4-­‐‑
vinson.pdf 15 Brett O'Donnell & David H. Gray. The Mexican Cartels: 11 What Is The Sinaloa Cartel? Here's What You Need To Know About One Of The World's Most Dangerous Drug Organizations, (14 July 2015), Sarah Harvard, Bustle. At: http://www.bustle.com/articles/96705-­‐‑what-­‐‑is-­‐‑the-­‐‑
sinaloa-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑heres-­‐‑what-­‐‑you-­‐‑need-­‐‑to-­‐‑know-­‐‑about-­‐‑one-­‐‑of-­‐‑
the-­‐‑worlds 12 Beith, Malcolm (2010). The Last Narco. Grove Press. ISBN 978-­‐‑0-­‐‑8021-­‐‑1952-­‐‑0. Not just Criminals but Terrorists (2012) Norwich University. At: http://globalsecuritystudies.com/ODonnell%20Mexican%2
0Cartels.pdf 16 Patrick Radden Keefe. Cocaine Incorporated. (June 2012) The New York Times Magazine. At: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/magazine/how-­‐‑a-­‐‑
mexican-­‐‑drug-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑makes-­‐‑its-­‐‑billions.html?_r=0 13 Lino González Veiguela. Los cárteles más fuertes de México (3 march 2010) EsGlobal. At: Page 9 / 17 Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel Modus Operandi The Sinaloa cartel is one of the most powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world with presence in over 50 countries on several continents, as recognized by security agencies of the United States. The heads of the Sinaloa cartel are experts in logistics, transportation routes, and access to new markets. They have sales representatives in many countries worldwide and deliver the goods on time and at the agreed price. This cartel was one of the first to form and develop a system of tunnels to smuggle drugs through the border between Mexico and the United States. Following the expansion of these tunnels between Mexico and the United States, the group has also been suspected of human trafficking. 17 18 unsuspecting and unaware passengers are used in order to traffic South American drugs into Mexico. The scheme called the "narcoviajes" involves corrupt staff in the South American airport, which changes the luggage of the passengers for suitcases containing up to 25 kilos of cocaine. Once the drugs are on their way, the traffickers alert their partners in Mexico, who remove the bags once the plane lands. According to authorities, during the year 2014, between 3 and 5 suitcases with drugs were transported weekly from the Jorge Chavez Airport in Lima, Peru. 20 21 They have also been known to use the movements of the drug market in order to stay relevant. For example, when the cocaine market began to fall in the United States, the cartel opened new routes to Europe and Asia, while providing the US consumers with synthetic drugs instead. 19 In recent years the Sinaloa Cartel has been linked to a new drug trafficking scheme in which Relations Mexican Government: The Mexican government seems to have taken little to no action against a substantial amount of companies accused by the Treasury of the United States of having links to the Sinaloa Cartel. 22 According to a survey conducted by El Universal about Mexican companies on the Treasury Department’s blacklist, “of the 95 companies linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, 14 have had relations with the Mexican government through contracts 17 El cártel de Sinaloa, su historia criminal en el mundo del 20 Latin America security forces fight drug smuggling on narcotráfico (22 Feb 2014) Noticias Univision. At: http://noticias.univision.com/article/1860869/2014-­‐‑02-­‐‑
22/mexico/noticias/el-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑de-­‐‑sinaloa-­‐‑su-­‐‑historia-­‐‑
criminal-­‐‑en-­‐‑el-­‐‑mundo-­‐‑del-­‐‑narcotrafico commercial flights by ‘El Chapo’, (21 Jan 2014), Dialogo Magazine. At: http://dialogo-­‐‑
americas.com/en_GB/articles/rmisa/features/regional_ne
ws/2014/01/21/narcotrafico-­‐‑aeropuertos 18Theunis Bates. A Mexican drug cartel's rise to dominance 21 Theunis Bates. A Mexican drug cartel's rise to dominance (25 jan 2014) The Week. At: http://theweek.com/articles/452325/mexican-­‐‑drug-­‐‑
cartels-­‐‑rise-­‐‑dominance (25 jan 2014) The Week. At: http://theweek.com/articles/452325/mexican-­‐‑drug-­‐‑
cartels-­‐‑rise-­‐‑dominance 19 Patrick Radden Keefe. Cocaine Incorporated. (June 2012) 22 Michael Lohmuller. Mexico Govt Contracted Businesses The New York Times Magazine. At: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/magazine/how-­‐‑a-­‐‑
mexican-­‐‑drug-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑makes-­‐‑its-­‐‑billions.html?_r=0 Linked to Sinaloa Cartel (27 July 2015). InSight Crime. At: http://www.insightcrime.org/news-­‐‑briefs/mexico-­‐‑
government-­‐‑contracted-­‐‑businesses-­‐‑linked-­‐‑to-­‐‑sinaloa-­‐‑cartel Page 10 / 17 Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel or concessions”. 23 This has generated rumours, common during the administration of former President Felipe Calderon, saying that the Mexican government implicitly favours the Sinaloa Cartel and prefers to take action against other cartels, such as the Los Zetas. However, the Mexican government has vehemently denied these claims. 24
Some experts, such as former UN adviser Edgardo Buscaglia, claim that the relative immunity of the Sinaloa cartel responds to a strategy of the government of Felipe Calderon to strengthen the position of one of these groups in order to facilitate a future truce negotiation. Others, such as the former Foreign Minister of Mexico Jorge Castaneda, deny this point by saying that the alleged immunity of the Sinaloa cartel is only to the fact that it was the most successful at attracting support from politicians and local security forces partly in thanks to their economic capacity. 25 In 2010, Mexican journalist Anabel Hernandez published a book that recounted: "Through official documents and testimonies, I discovered things about Public Safety Secretary, Genaro Garcia Luna, powerful head of police during the government of Felipe Calderon. Garcia Luna was closely linked to the drug cartels, specifically the Sinaloa cartel, appearing even in their payroll, as the most important police chief of the federal police ... So the police are not only protecting the Sinaloa cartel, but also helping them traffic drugs and 23 Michael Lohmuller. Mexico Govt Contracted Businesses Linked to Sinaloa Cartel (27 July 2015). InSight Crime. At: http://www.insightcrime.org/news-­‐‑briefs/mexico-­‐‑
government-­‐‑contracted-­‐‑businesses-­‐‑linked-­‐‑to-­‐‑sinaloa-­‐‑cartel money through the most important airports in Mexico" 26 Relations with the civilian population: The cartels in Mexico do cruel things that are similar to, and often worse than the actions of US soldiers in Vietnam. At the same time, the cartels also build hospitals, churches, chapels, and clinics. They hold Mother's Day and Day of the Children celebrations, giving out gifts. So they gain these heroic sorts of images in a lot of these communities, particularly in the rural areas where they're looked upon like Robin Hoods or heroes. 27 US Relations The United States government has been actively involved in the Mexican war against drugs since late June 2008, when the U.S. Congress passed legislation to provide Mexico and Central American countries with $1.6 billion USD for the Mérida Initiative, a three-­‐year international assistance plan. The Mérida Initiative provides Mexico and Central American countries with law enforcement training and equipment, as well as technical advice to strengthen their national justice systems. The Mérida Initiative does not include cash or weapons.28 The reason for this is that the US is the main destination for illicit drugs in the world. The U.S. Justice Department has openly acknowledged the Mexican drug cartels to be the “greatest organized crime threat to the United States”29 http://www.democracynow.org/es/blog/2013/9/27/mxico
_una_periodista_revela_vnculos_entre_el 27 Kristen Gwynne. The Author of 'The Cartel' on America's Organized Crime. At: http://www.insightcrime.org/mexico-­‐‑
organized-­‐‑crime-­‐‑news/sinaloa-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑profile Role in Mexico's Brutal and Bloody Drug War (6 July 2015) Vice. At: http://www.vice.com/read/talking-­‐‑to-­‐‑the-­‐‑author-­‐‑
of-­‐‑the-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑about-­‐‑americas-­‐‑role-­‐‑in-­‐‑mexicos-­‐‑brutal-­‐‑and-­‐‑
bloody-­‐‑drug-­‐‑war-­‐‑706 25 Lino González Veiguela. Los cárteles más fuertes de 28 Merida Initiative. Us Department of State. At: México (3 march 2010) EsGlobal. At: http://www.esglobal.org/lista-­‐‑los-­‐‑carteles-­‐‑mas-­‐‑fuertes-­‐‑de-­‐‑
mexico/ 29 Testimony of Secretary Janet Napolitano before Senate, 24 Sinaloa Cartel. InSight Crime, Investigation and Analysis of http://www.state.gov/j/inl/merida/ (25 March 2009). Dhs.gov. 2009-­‐‑03-­‐‑25. 26 México: una periodista revela vínculos entre el gobierno y los carteles de drogas (27 Sep 2013) Democracy Now. At: Page 11 / 17 Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel On March 25, 2009, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that "[America's] insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade", and that "the United States bears shared responsibility for the drug-­‐fuelled violence sweeping Mexico." 30 Although the US is considered Mexico’s biggest ally in the fight against drug-­‐trafficking, some allude to an apparent involvement of the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) in several drug trafficking operations. Some reports claim that the CIA worked with groups who were known to be involved in drug trafficking, exchanging useful information and material support allowing their criminal activities to continue, and obstructed or prevented their arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment by American law enforcement agencies. 31 Vicente Zambada Niebla, son of Ismael Zambada Garcia, one of the drug lords in Mexico, said after his arrest that he and other senior members of the Sinaloa cartel had received immunity by agents of the United States and a virtual license to smuggle cocaine across the US border in exchange for intelligence about rival cartels. 32 Other Actors The Sinaloa cartel is primarily involved in the smuggling and distribution of Colombian cocaine, Mexican marijuana, and methamphetamine and heroin from Southeast Asia in the United States. It is believed that some of the cocaine shipments are from Cali, Colombia and Medellin. The Sinaloa cartel passes the drugs through the US border and delivers them to distribution cells in Arizona, California, Texas, Chicago and New York.33 In a way, the success of the Sinaloa cartel comes from the alliances that it has been able to create with local groups in the supplier and destination countries, such as gangs or maras in Central America and some cities of United States, to protect and distribute the goods.34 It competes for territory with other cartels like Los Zetas, the cartel of Tijuana, the Gulf Cartel and the cartel of Juarez, but still happens to be the biggest player on the ground. Cabinet Positions Summary Head of the Sinaloa Cartel The Head of the Sinaloa Cartel has a demanding job. Coordinating the four different wings, namely the Military, the Intelligence, the Internal Unit, and the External Unit, is just the tip of the iceberg. The Head of Cabinet decides how to rile in members gaining strength and popularity, what to do with traitors, how to proceed with missions and 30 Drugs, Guns and a Reality Check, The Washington Post. 31 Alex Newman. U.S. Government and Top Mexican Drug tasks at hand, and to decide the general direction the Cartel must take in order to expand, and at times, survive. Being in-­‐charge of a large group of people can be challenging, and it is up to him to emerge as a victor out of the chaos and destruction. http://www.businessinsider.com/the-­‐‑us-­‐‑government-­‐‑
and-­‐‑the-­‐‑sinaloa-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑2014-­‐‑1 Cartel Exposed as Partners (14 Jan 2014) The New American. At: http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-­‐‑
news/north-­‐‑america/item/17396-­‐‑u-­‐‑s-­‐‑government-­‐‑and-­‐‑
top-­‐‑mexican-­‐‑drug-­‐‑cartel-­‐‑exposed-­‐‑as-­‐‑partners 33 Tessa Vinson. The Sinaloa Cartel: A Study in the 32 Michael B Kelley. CONFIRMED: The DEA Struck A Deal 34 Tessa Vinson. The Sinaloa Cartel: A Study in the With Mexico's Most Notorious Drug Cartel (13 Jan 2014) Business Insider. At: Dynamics of Power (2009) At: http://web.wm.edu/so/monitor/issues/14-­‐‑2/4-­‐‑
vinson.pdf Dynamics of Power (2009) At: http://web.wm.edu/so/monitor/issues/14-­‐‑2/4-­‐‑
vinson.pdf Page 12 / 17 Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel Commander of the Special Forces The Commander of Special Forces is the head of the most powerful hit squad that the cartel has. Major tasks will include dealing with rival gangs (militarily), dealing with traitors amongst the cartel’s ranks, threatening and convincing politicians and law enforcement agents, as well as carry out all major hits. The commander is effectively in charge of carrying out, or having carried out, all hits and attacks within Mexico. Outsourcing hits (to whom and when) is also one of the privileges that the Commander enjoys. The position brings a special ear, a direct line of sorts, to the Head of Cabinet, and the Commander must use this influence wisely. Serving as the “Ministro de Interior” can’t be easy. Commander of US Gang Affiliations The Commander of US Gang Affiliates works outside Mexico more often than not, specifically within the United States. From coordinating the security aspects of smuggling the product into the States, to distribution, money collection, and dealing with traitors, the job can be quite demanding at times. The US Commander must deal with the Drug Enforcement Agency and their agents swarming US streets, waiting to arrest and indict the Cartel’s men on the ground. The US Commander must ensure that the Cartel can retain its strongholds, and work on expanding territory and distribution within the United States from a military standpoint. This position may also be referred to as the quasi-­‐foreign representation of the Cartel, although immunity isn’t one of the perks awarded to the candidate. A single mistake can land the Commander and his men behind bars within the US for a very long time. Director of Street Intelligence-­‐ Street Falcons The Director of Street Intelligence is an important position for the cartel. Looking out for working girls, collecting protection money, and recruiting new gang members are all in a day’s work for this indispensable member of the group. Communicating with beat cops, gathering intelligence on rival gangs, and dealing with daily territorial skirmishes with rival gangs also forms an important part of the daily responsibilities of the Director of Street Intelligence (DSI-­‐SF). Each time the gang’s hit-­‐men need to make a move, they depend on the DSI-­‐SF for accurate and timely information; and each time they celebrate, they depend on the DSI-­‐SF to arrange for the right type of entertainment. Director of Security Forces Intelligence-­‐ Green Falcons The Director of Security Forces Intelligence leads the powerful spy network which has infiltrated the Mexican and, to a limited extent, American security forces apparatus. These ‘snitches’ can gather and leak upcoming official information including operations and measures undertaken by Security Forces of either Mexico or the United States. Director of Government Intelligence The Director of Government Intelligence leads the well-­‐connected spy network within the Mexican and American governments which has been so sacrosanct in maintaining Sinaloa's upper hand in the war on drugs. This position is charged with maintaining, expanding, and the effective utilization of this strategic network of snitches in order to maintain this unique advantage. In an age where information equals power, the bearer of information can be god. Lieutenant of the United States Plaza Being in-­‐charge of the United States Plaza involves coordinating on ground activities, collecting protection money, and forging new business ties. Responsible for everything that goes around in his assigned areas, the job comes with a lot of heat and a whole lot of blame for any undesirable on-­‐
Page 13 / 17 Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel ground activities. Eliminating competition and other threats is very important; the Lieutenant has hit-­‐squads at his disposal to make his job much less complicated than a one-­‐man show. Lieutenant of the US-­‐Mexico Border Plaza Smuggling. A simple word, yet so complicated. This Lieutenant is responsible for the all the activity surrounding the border area on both sides of the invisible geographical line. From dealing with tunnels and crossings of illegal immigrants, to the physical passing of drugs, this Lieutenant is also charged with paying off people to make sure things move smoothly across one of the most policed borders in the entire world, as well as the busiest on the planet. Responsibilities aside, the position comes with a personal hit-­‐squad, and a lot of power within the region as the Head of Cartel’s direct representative to the area. Lieutenant of the Mexican Plaza Dealing with the local territory, although home, is very challenging. From ensuring safe-­‐transport of the product to the border, as well as ensuring the reverse transfer of the money from the border back into the country, the Lieutenant of the Mexico Plaza makes sure that the Cartel’s supply chain remains intact. Safe-­‐houses, storage facilities, accountants, and transporters within all of Mexico are under his command, and without him, the operation frankly wouldn’t run as smoothly as it does right now. It takes a lot to survive within this position, and internal power struggles mean that this position changes hands very often. It also doesn’t help to be on the radar of both the Mexican and American intelligence agencies, and assassination attempts often come from rival cartels trying to affect the Cartel’s local power. Advisor of Latin and South American Partners Charged with making sure that the drug-­‐
production facilities down in Colombia, Peru, and Panama are working to full capacity and that the local partners there are happy. Travelling is a big part of this job, and a clean passport; necessary. This Advisor has a nice front as a respectable businessman within the community, but few know his dark secrets as the puppet-­‐master of many within the Cartel itself. The Head of the Cartel depends on his Advisors, and more often than not takes their views into consideration before making decisions. Advisor of International Partners This Advisor deals mostly with long-­‐range exports. From business contacts in greater Europe, to militant contacts with separatists within other regions, this Advisor is charged with ensuring business expansion and large-­‐scale deals with groups in further away continents. The Head of Cartel rarely makes a decision without his consultation, and funding issues as well as weapons supply are his specialties. Rules of Procedure Discretion of the Crisis Directing Team • The Crisis Director has final say in any of the proceedings related to the simulation, including but not limited to decisions on dissemination of information, action plans and repositioning of participants. • For the sake of clear lines of command and control, the Crisis Director may overrule any decision made by Delegates, Heads of State, staff or Cabinet Director. • The Crisis Director shall be supported by his Vice Crisis Director and act on behalf of his office. Page 14 / 17 Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel The Front Room • The Front Room is where the delegates and Head of Cabinet have gathered to discuss the situation and come up with solutions. This is where policy is decided and diplomacy reigns. • Each room is lead by a Head of Cabinet. The Head of Cabinet is also ‘playing the game’ and is unaware of what will happen. It is their task to lead their cabinets to victory as they compete to better their room’s position in the world in relation to the other cabinets. Page 15 / 17 Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel • The Head of Cabinet will dictate the flow of debate in the room as he sees fit. If he wants to hear what everyone has to say about a certain topic, he can go around the room and hear everyone’s opinion. If he wants the delegates to work amongst themselves, he can break them into task forces. The options are only limited by your imagination. Finding the most effective mode of working is very important in becoming an effective and successful cabinet. Any delegate can recommend the best way to proceed in running the debate, however the final call resides with the Head of Cabinet. • Directives are very important and everyone is highly encouraged to write them as having one designated person will result in both a bottleneck and granting the author a lot of power. More information on Directives can be found in the ‘Conference Format’ section. • Heads of Cabinet have the final say regarding what the Cabinet does. They can choose to not approve an action even if it has overwhelming support in the Front Room. At this point you can either abandon the action, or seek more covert ways of employing it. Back Room • Each Cabinet has its own Back Room with it’s own dedicated staff. Its roles are the following: o Disseminate information to the delegates and Head of Cabinet and connect them to the rest of the world. o Receive directives and communication from it’s Front Room. o Act on and determine results in accordance with the requested Directives o Act as the advisers of the delegates, respective of position, when called to do so. o Organize your meetings. • Communication with the Back Room is paramount. It is the connection between you and your troops, and you and the world. Without them you are blind, deaf, with no allies and no tools. Thus, everything you do must go through the Back Room. Communication with your Backroom will be done through a Google Form system that will be expanded upon in the ‘Software’ section. • It is important to note that the Cabinet Director of your Back Room has the final say on any topic including but not limited to -­‐ available capabilities, resources, and results of actions. Meetings Communication with other rooms and delegates can be the ace up your sleeve. Cooperation can be more advantageous than competition. You can communicate with them as a cabinet or as an individual, through official channels such as communiques or less official like secret backdoor meetings. Page 16 / 17 Hamburg Model United Nations 2015 | www.hammun.de Study Guide for the Sinaloa Cartel Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Zetas http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2015/07/05/los-­‐zetas-­‐cartel-­‐kidnaps-­‐mexican-­‐teen-­‐baseball-­‐team-­‐for-­‐
ransom-­‐family-­‐pays-­‐up/ http://freebeacon.com/national-­‐security/los-­‐zetas-­‐drug-­‐cartel-­‐linked-­‐to-­‐us-­‐helicopter-­‐downing/ http://www.businessinsider.com/how-­‐34-­‐commandos-­‐created-­‐mexicos-­‐most-­‐brutal-­‐drug-­‐cartel-­‐2015-­‐3 http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/ABC_Univision/mexicos-­‐los-­‐zetas-­‐cartel-­‐now-­‐throwing-­‐parties-­‐
kids/story?id=19143847 http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/los-­‐zetas-­‐recruiting-­‐americans-­‐2010-­‐fbi-­‐document-­‐
shows/story?id=19014852 http://www.forbes.com/sites/riskmap/2013/08/27/los-­‐zetas-­‐southward-­‐expansion/ http://fusion.net/story/17404/sinaloa-­‐frankenstein-­‐becomes-­‐mexicos-­‐most-­‐powerful-­‐cartel/ http://www.insightcrime.org/mexico-­‐organized-­‐crime-­‐news/zetas-­‐profile George W. Grayson, Samuel Logan. "The Executioner's Men: Los Zetas, Rogue Soldiers, Criminal Entrepreneurs, and the Shadow State they created". New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 2012). http://www.latinopost.com/articles/6901/20140718/los-­‐zetas-­‐mexicos-­‐largest-­‐deadliest-­‐sophisticated-­‐
drug-­‐cartel.htm Page 17 / 17