El Chapo, leader of the biggest Mexican cartel
(Photo : Reuters)

Mexico's biggest cartels are battling for power, money, and territory.

Mexico has many cartels that claim thousands of lives every year. These cartels are also battling for power and territory.

Mexican drug cartels control vast areas in Mexico and are said to be responsible for political corruption, assassinations, and kidnappings. But which among the drug cartels in Mexico is the biggest and most powerful? 

BBC News list some of the known biggest and most powerful Mexican cartels. Here are some of them:

1. Sinaloa Cartel

The Sinaloa Cartel controls much of the north-west and they are once described by the U.S. government as the largest drug-trafficking in the world. The Sinaloa Cartel was founded by Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in the late 1980s. El Chapo is known as a notorious drug lord and was even ranked as one of the richest men in the world. Oftentimes, Mexican cartels clash with each other due to power and territory but during Guzman's leadership, the cartel garnered a fierce reputation and outfought several Mexican cartels.

Moreover, it also became the largest drug supplier in the United States during Guzman's leadership. Typically, for the cartel to outfight other groups, they kidnapped, tortured, and slaughtered some members of their rival cartels. They do not only limit their cartel in drugs but they also have access to huge arsenal weapons, rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and including gold plated AK-47 of Guzman.

2. Jalisco New Generation

The Jalisco New Generation controls the Tierra Caliente Region and they are also the strongest and most aggressive competitor of the Sinaloa Cartel. They were formed in 2010 by Ruben Oseguera who is a former police officer and later on turned out as a drug cartel leader. He is now Mexico's most wanted person with a bounty in his head for $10 million. The group has expanded in the different states in Mexico and they are considered as the most dominant organized group. Their assets are estimated to be around $20 billion. 

According to the U.S. government, the cartel is the main distributor of synthetic drugs on the continent. The group is also known as a notorious cartel. They downed an army helicopter using a rocket-propelled grenade, killed dozens of state officials, and hang the bodies of their victims in the different bridges to intimidate their rivals.

3. Gulf Cartel

The Gulf Cartel is one of Mexico's oldest drug cartels or organized criminal groups that can be traced back to the 1980s. At present, they are known for trafficking cocaine and marijuana in the United States. It is also speculated that they worked with cartels in Columbia where have smuggled heroin and amphetamines. In 1990, it was reported that the cartel was bringing billions of dollars every year and bribe officials to keep their businesses alive.

The Gulf Cartel was initially led by Juan Garcia Abrego. He was the first Mexican drug lord who was included in the top 10 most wanted of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, he was captured in 1996 and was jailed for life in the United States. 

4. Los Zetas Cartel

The Los Zetas Cartel is the biggest rival of Gulf Cartel. They were formed by former corrupt members of Mexico's special forces. In the 1990s, the leader of the Gulf Cartel recruited 30 former soldiers. However, members of the group broke away and formed their own group in 2010. 

In 2012, Los Zetas Cartel was named as the country's biggest organized group. They outnumbered Sinaloa and they were also thought to operate in more than half of the Mexican states. They also ventured in different crimes that would bring them money from cigarette smuggling to human trafficking.