Mexican cartels, including the six designated as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), use adaptive organizational practices similar to legitimate companies. Much like organizations in any market economy, their leaders look for opportunities to promote and expand their business. This includes taking advantage of circumstances that may often seem like setbacks. They use disruption to expand their operations, influence and revenue streams, while undermining any semblance of state control. For law enforcement, this means periods of instability should be assessed as indicators of likely cartel expansion, adaptation and increased operational tempo. 

Cartels thrive during a crisis, whether it is a natural disaster, a migration surge or global conflict. Criminal organizations adapt their operations and find ways to improve their networks. At the same time, they become more sophisticated in using disruptions as a force multiplier for criminal activities. In combating the Mexican cartels, Assistant Director Jose Perez of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Criminal Investigative Division stated, “Tackling the cartel drug trafficking networks means addressing every link in the chain — including the gangs that help move their product, launder money and enforce violence here at home. This isn’t just a border problem — it’s a nationwide public safety crisis fueled by a web of criminal alliances stretching from cartel leadership in Mexico.”^[1]Perez, Jose (2025). “The FBI’s Efforts to Combat Mexican Cartels.” Statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee. fbi.gov/news/speeches-and-testimony/fbi-efforts-to-combat-mexican-cartels. One of these links is understanding how cartels use chaos as organizational opportunity.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, cartels responded in ways that communities felt the government was failing to do.

Aiding communities

In the past, Mexican cartels gained favor and support from communities by donating thousands of dollars for church and infrastructure investments. The Guadalajara Cartel, La Familia Michoacana, Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel have invested in building roads, schools, churches and even a recent hospital from drug trafficking revenue. However, today the temperature has changed. Violent organizations are fighting to keep territory from other organizations, including government security forces. Cartels use natural disasters or health emergencies to influence communities into viewing the criminal organization as the legitimate authority, gain loyalty and establish local control.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, cartels responded in ways that communities felt the government was failing to do. The Sinaloa Cartel, Los Viagras and the Gulf Cartel, among others, gained favor in Mexico by distributing food, hygiene and personal protective equipment, often in boxes stamped with an organization’s identifier or with a friendly message from the organization itself.

Tropical Storm Priscilla devastated parts of western Mexico in 2019, and soon after, members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel delivered humanitarian aid to victims while reminding them it came from the cartel and not the government.

In 2025, major flooding occurred in the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, Querétaro and Puebla, leading to over 70 deaths. Online videos showed cartel members providing those devastated by the storms with bags that contained food and basic supplies. Angered about the propaganda, the Mexican president responded that aid should be the responsibility of the government, not criminal organizations.^[2]Morales, H. (2025). “Cartels Are Distributing Humanitarian Aid During Mexico Floods to Win Over Public Support.” The Latin Times. … Continue reading

Migration surge

Rapid changes in migration patterns have created significant opportunities for criminal organizations to increase profits. Large-scale migration toward the U.S. through Mexico began rising around 2014. Initially, the flow consisted primarily of unaccompanied minors, followed by family units, and eventually expanded into unprecedented numbers of individuals seeking asylum. As a result, the U.S. immigration enforcement and processing system became increasingly strained, while cartels and smaller criminal organizations exploited the situation for financial gain.

Cartels prey on anyone seeking to migrate to the U.S. Changes in U.S. policy forced people to remain in Mexico during asylum applications. The unintended consequence of strengthening the border was increasing the vulnerability of the migrants in Mexico. Mexican criminal organizations took advantage of this by kidnapping migrants and holding them for ransom. Many people were targeted on multiple occasions, even after paying the ransom fees.^[3]Dittmar, V., and Woolston, S. (2025). “GameChangers 2025: Migration Smuggling Market Goes from Boom to Bust.” Insight Crime. … Continue reading

The increase in migration flows, combined with stricter border enforcement, has also enabled cartels to raise prices for human smuggling. Crossing the border, which once may have cost $500 15 years ago, now can cost upward of $20,000. A recent trend is offering comprehensive VIP packages that may include the use of tunnels and codes to avoid unwanted attention from gangs and corrupt officials.^[4]Ventura, J. (2024). “Mexican cartels offer ‘VIP’ border crossing packages to migrants.”[fn]BorderReport. … Continue reading

Cartel members joined Ukraine’s International Legion to train on drones and bring back that knowledge to operate in Mexico.

Global conflict

Mexican cartels are paramilitary forces, often with more firepower and resources than local or state police departments. At times, they have rivaled and bested Mexican military forces. The war in Ukraine has offered cartels opportunities to improve their own operations with drone training. Cartels often use drones to target political figures, government employees, Mexican security and rival criminal organizations.

Mexican intelligence revealed that cartel members joined Ukraine’s International Legion to train on drones and bring back that knowledge to operate in Mexico. Between 2021 and 2025, over 220 weaponized drone attacks were recorded in Mexico, many conducted by the Jalisco New Generation and La Familia Michoacana cartels.^[5]Staff (2026). “Mapping weaponized drone attacks attributed to Mexican drug cartels.” Small Wars Journal. smallwarsjournal.com/2026/02/16/mexican-cartel-drone-attacks-report.

Bottom line for law enforcement

Cartels are involved with expanding revenue streams, increasing violence, exploiting the vulnerable and making the best of societies’ bad conditions. Due to cartel civil war, conflict with other cartels or combating the government, organizations may fragment and their members may shift allegiance. Citizens and vulnerable groups are left in the crossfire and have accepted that criminal organizations act as quasi- or parallel governments in Mexico.

Cartels have exploited the state’s capacity for oversight, utilized emergent conditions to present propaganda and used unstable situations to create new revenue streams. This level of disarray means cartels are looking for opportunities when natural disasters hit, migration trends shift and global conflict occurs. American law enforcement leaders should consider that chaos is not a disruption to cartel activity — it is a force multiplier in their operations.