The primary Mexican transnational criminal organizations with a significant presence and known operations in Florida are the 

Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The Gulf Cartel has also been identified as operating in the state. 

These cartels do not operate overtly in a territorial manner in the U.S. as they might in Mexico, but rather establish clandestine networks and use various associates and local street gangs to distribute drugs and firearms. 

Key cartels with a known presence in Florida:

• Sinaloa Cartel One of Mexico’s oldest and most powerful groups, the Sinaloa Cartel maintains a widespread presence across the U.S., including in Florida. Federal cases in Florida have resulted in the sentencing of its members for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.
• Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) Known for its rapid expansion and extreme violence, the CJNG has a significant presence in Florida and has been involved in the trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl. Six men were recently sentenced in Florida for trafficking military-grade firearms to the CJNG in Mexico.
• Gulf Cartel This organization, based in northeast Mexico, also has a reported presence in Florida and has been identified as a rival to the Sinaloa Cartel. Law enforcement operations have exposed its operations in the northeast part of the state.
• United Cartels A leader of Mexico’s United Cartels and others were charged in a South Florida federal court in 2021 for importing over 1200 pounds of crystal methamphetamine.
• Colombian Cartels Historically, the Medellín and Cali cartels were famously active in Florida during the “Miami drug war” era, with South Florida serving as a major hub for cocaine smuggling. More recently, leaders of Colombian drug cartels responsible for sending cocaine to Mexican cartels with final destination in the U.S. have been extradited to Tampa. 

Law enforcement agencies such as the DEA and FBI work with state and local task forces (like the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task forces) to disrupt these operations and have seized significant amounts of narcotics, including large quantities of fentanyl, in the state.