Rankings

The Mexican cartels have moved up two spots in a ranking system pretty much akin to FIFA's global soccer rankings – ie, meaningless. Only the Russian and Chinese mafias outrank the Mexicans, according to the Centro Internacional de Desarollo Legal y Economico, headed by Edgardo Buscaglia.

While the ranking itself means very little, the data and research Buscgalia presents is very interesting and relevant. In the last four years, Mexican cartels have significantly increased their presence in the US, Canada, the EU and Asia, particularly in the form of property purchases (to launder money). This we knew, but it always hits home when you see it in writing from an expert like Buscaglia, who also works with the UN.

Also, India has apparently become the primary supplier of meth precursors to Mexican cartels, overtaking China for the top spot.