Latin American gangs have gained increasing ground on U.S. soil, fueling violence and drug trafficking, as communities grapple with illegal immigration and drug trafficking networks.
Fox News Digital spoke with former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Senior Special Agent Michael Brown, who is the global director of counter-narcotics technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices, about the impact of Latin American gangs on U.S. communities.
“You have this incredible narco structure, this narco state, pushing multiple tons of narcotics into the United States, which drives U.S. drug trafficking and organization-based violence,” he said.
Brown said that cartels are not just street-level groups, but highly organized criminal enterprises that control drug trafficking and engage in violent turf wars.
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Brown emphasized the role of Mexican cartels, like Sinaloa and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), in controlling how drugs flow into U.S. streets, particularly fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. Cartels dominate the drug trade and are responsible for the majority of narcotics-related violence across North America, Brown said.
“In terms of narcotics trafficking and human trafficking, Sinaloa is probably perhaps the king throne in this game,” he said. “And CJNG is the second runner-up, attempting to be number one.”
He said the Sinaloa and CJNG gangs are responsible for moving 85-90% of all illicit drugs into the U.S.
“Affiliate organizations, which are set up in every major city in the U.S., serve narcotics to the local trafficking organization,” he said. “These would be your organized crime groups, such as the Italian or Albanian groups.”
While Mexico serves as the primary producer and transit point for drugs, countries like Brazil and Colombia play key roles in moving drugs to global markets. Brown highlighted how Brazil acts as a hub for narcotics from Colombia and Peru, which are then sent to various destinations like the U.S., Europe and Australia.
Sanctuary cities, Brown said, exacerbate gang violence and provide an environment that allows criminal organizations to thrive.
“If you go to a sanctuary city in New York or in Chicago, you’re going to get a check for housing, for food. They’re going to get a cellphone, they’re going to get car insurance,” he said. “So if you’re a gang member, you simply go there and attach yourself to that money train.”
He shared that cartels have turned to “grassroots recruitment” tactics to draft in migrants.
“You have terrible policies in sanctuary cities, which, in my opinion, are totally enabling organizations, such as Tren De Aragua (TdA) to function as parasitic criminal organizations,” he said. “And within these [migrant] communities, they in most cases won’t report the crimes because they are illegal, and they don’t want the police to come. It’s not worth the risk for them.”
He said that the African American and Latino communities, driven in part by economic hardships, turn to the allure of fast money and fame. Brown linked the glamorization of gang culture to the prevalence of popular media, like rap music.
“I think when we look at American gang violence in narcotics, you have to look at what it is associated with and why is it so popular now to be a gangster,” he said. “What is your role in young African-American men and Hispanic men in these gangs? They want to make fast money, and want the glory associated with it,” he said.
“Unfortunately, there’s no other ethnic group outside primarily African-Americans and Latinos who aspire to make music like this.”
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