Each control various cities in Mexico and along the US-Mexico border. For the purposes of this report, we will be talking about the Gulf Cartel. The Gulf Cartel is one of the major organized criminal organizations in Mexico whose main interest is drug trafficking, with its main operations in Nuevo Laredo, Miguel Alemán, Reynosa and Matamoros (Brophy, 2008). Although the Gulf Cartel is quite powerful with its large number of followers, locations of operation and weapons, it also collaborates with another group called Zetas. The Zetas can be classified as a mafia-style group that specializes in one type of commodity, and in this case, the commodity is protection (Brophy, 2008). They defend the Gulf Cartel and their territory, they also act as hitmen and assassins and engage in kidnapping, arms trafficking, money laundering, drug dealing and payment collection (Brophy, 2008). With both of these powerful groups controlling many parts of Mexico, the drug trafficking community is intense, violent, and cities often suffer disastrous consequences when in conflict with the groups. The illegality of drug trafficking largely has to do with the extreme amount of violence when it comes to feuds against drug cartels and law enforcement (Brophy, 2008). The Gulf Cartel and the Zetas are not only powerful thanks to their weapons and violence, but they also have great influence, especially in politics, and this will be discussed later in the report. Since the Gulf Cartel is but one of many threats to Mexico, the country is also affected in many other ways, not only by the cartels, but also by the United States.