The Cartel

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The Cartel
Status	Disbanded
Type	Drug cartel
Boss	Eladio Vuente
Location	Mexico
Business Fronts	El Griego Guiñador Regalo Helado
Products	Cocaine Meth
Rivals	Gus' Drug Empire Espinosa Gang (former)

This article is about the fictional cartel in the Breaking Bad universe. For the real organization of the same name, see wikipedia:Juárez Cartel.

The Juárez-Michoacan Cartel is a Mexican drug cartel active in two states: in Michoacan and in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas.

The Juárez-Michoacan Cartel controlled one of the primary transportation routes for billions of dollars worth of illegal drug shipments annually entering the United States from Mexico. They were a ruthless and dangerous drug trafficking organization that had been known to decapitate their rivals, mutilate their corpses, and dump them in public in order to instill fear not only in the general public, but also in local law enforcement and their rivals.

As one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, Juárez-Michoacan Cartel has thousands of hitmen and other members and it has huge influence in Mexico and United States. Juárez-MichoacanCartel showed that they are even ready to murder DEA agents, when they learned that DEA had turned one cartel member to DEA informant. Tuco Salamanca also revealed that Juárez-Michoacan Cartel status in Mexico is so strong that even Mexican Federal Police doesn't want to mess with cartel.

Juárez-Michoacan Cartel is by far the most powerful criminal organization in Breaking Bad universe.

History

Early history

The Juárez-Michoacan Cartel was supposedly started by the Hector Salamanca, Eladio Vuente, and Juan Bolsa, with Hector claiming that the Salamanca family "built this whole business" with their money and blood ("Lantern"). Eventually, Eladio became the head of the cartel, earning the nickname "El Griego Guiñador" (The Winking Greek) because of the distinctive Greek amulet he wore. Don Hector and Don Bolsa served as his most trusted men. Eladio also purchased a mountainside hacienda, from which he often conducted business by the poolside.

Initially, the cartel only served as the middle-men for the Colombians, transporting cocaine over the US border and receiving only a small part of the profit. This was mainly because they could not produce cocaine in Mexico, leaving them dependent on the Colombians ("Hermanos"). The cartel was feared by many, and it was said that even the Mexican Federales wouldn't mess with them. The cartel even had government connections, with Bolsa's brother serving as a high ranking police chief. At some point, Hector served 17 years in San Quentin prison ("Bit by a Dead Bee").

Don Hector, Bolsa, and Eladio (1989)

In 1989, Gustavo Fring and his close friend Max Arciniega, using their restaurant Los Pollos Hermanos as a cover to cook meth, gave samples of their product to several of the cartels foot soldiers, hoping this would grant them an audience with Eladio. Their plan proved successful, and they were eventually granted a meeting with the heads of the cartel (Don Eladio, Don Juan, and Don Hector). Gustavo proposed that the they start producing meth, effectively cutting out the Colombians and keeping all the profits for the cartel itself. However, Eladio considered meth to be "a poor mans cocaine", something that was only used by hillbillies and bikers. Despite Gus' attempts to persuade him, Eladio was already offended by the "underhanded" way Gus had gotten the cartels attention. He ordered Hector to shoot Max in the head while he was pleading for forgiveness. This enraged Gus, who tried to attack Hector, but was held down by Bolsa, forcing him to look at the dead body of his former partner. Eladio revealed that the only reason Gus had been allowed to live was because of his past connections, but warned him that he was "no longer in Chile" ("Hermanos").

At a later point, despite the rocky start to their relationship, Gus began working as a distributor for the cartel, using his restaurant chain to smuggle drugs to the American southwest. Hector was displeased with this choice, as he did not trust Chileans and considered them to be "dirty people" ("One Minute"). Don Eladio forbid Gus from dealing with local suppliers in America, ensuring that he only distributed the cartels drugs ("Something Beautiful"). Juan Bolsa was assigned as Gustavo's overseer.

Hector and his nephews

In the meantime, Hector began grooming his family to join the ranks of the cartel. Hector treated his nephew Tuco like a son, hoping that one day he could take over for him when he was no longer able ("I.F.T."). Tuco's cousins, Leonel and Marco Salamanca, were taught a harsh lesson when Hector attempted to drown Marco until Leonel punched his uncle hard enough for him to stop. Hector did this to teach them that "Family is all" ("One Minute"). Tuco would go on to be a key figure in the cartels operation north of the border, with Leonel and Marco becoming notorious hitmen and enforcers.

By at least 1998, the cartel had begun dealing in meth, just as Gus had proposed several years ago. Tuco and his lieutenant, Nacho Varga, started working with a group of bikers out of Riverside, California who hooked them up with poor quality meth, but they could sell it just as fast as they bought it, making it a profitable endeavor. Tuco started using the meth they were buying, becoming erratic and unpredictable. During a meeting with their supplier, Dog Paulson, Tuco became paranoid that Dog was trying to cut him out by selling to his competitors. He stared him down and without a word shot him point blank in the head with a sawed-off shotgun. A piece of Dog's skull became lodged in Nacho's shoulder, remaining there to this day ("Grilled") ("Gloves Off").

In 1999, Hector pays Don Eladio a visit at his hacienda, announcing that he has bought an ice cream factory in Michoacan and an ice cream shop in Albuquerque. He intends to use the factories former driver, Ximenez Lecerda, to smuggle drugs across the border. Hector also named the store El Griego Guiñador, after Don Eladio himself. Eladio is amused by this, especially after seeing a bobblehead of the stores mascot, Sabrosito. He mocks Hector for bringing him just "a toy", to which Hector responds by dumping a bag of money on the table, temporarily appeasing him. However, they are quickly interrupted by Juan Bolsa, who has brought a Los Pollos Hermanos t-shirt as a gift, along with Gus' monthly earnings. Eladio is impressed by the large sum of money and the professional way in which it was stored, demanding that Hector do the same from now on. Hector is visibly jealous, which leads to Eladio mercilessly teasing him about his "cute" pile of money. As Eladio heads inside with the money, Bolsa warns Hector to not insult him. This further fuels his hatred of Gustavo and deepens their rivalry ("Sabrosito").

Better Call Saul

Season 1

In 2002, small time lawyer Jimmy McGill tries pulling a hit-and-run scam on Betsy Kettleman, but accidentally targets Tuco's Abuelita. McGill's accomplices,Cal and Lars Lindholm, try to blackmail her into giving them money and even resort to insulting her, calling her a "biznatch". This enrages Tuco, who knocks them out and ties them up in the garage. Moments later, McGill shows up and tries to explain the situation to Tuco. After some fast talking, Tuco agrees to let Jimmy and the brothers leave, until the brothers blurt out that Jimmy put them up to the scam. Tuco takes the three of them out to the middle of the desert to interrogate them. He is accompanied by his three lieutenants, Nacho Varga, No-Doze, and Gonzo. Varga convinces Tuco to let McGill go, but Tuco wants to kill the Twins for insulting his grandmother. Jimmy persuades him to only break their legs as punishment and let them live ("Uno",  "Mijo").

Unbeknownst to Tuco, Nacho had begun doing drug deals on the side. He met with Pryce and his bodyguard Mike Ehrmantraut to buy pharmaceutical pills ("Pimento").

Season 2

Nacho and Pryce continued to regularly meet, until Pryce (whose real name was Daniel Wormald) began spending his money carelessly, buying an expensive car. Nacho decide to cut ties with him and robs his house in the process.

Season 3

TBA

Season 4

TBA

Breaking Bad

Season 1

TBA

Season 2

TBA

Season 3

TBA

Season 4

Gus Fring, Mike Ehrmantraut, and Jesse Pinkman travel to Mexico to meet with the cartel. They arrive at the cartel lab, and Jesse bluffs his way through his inability to synthesize phenylacetic acid (back in Gus's superlab, it comes in barrels with a bee), demands that the lab be scrubbed spotless, and then watches as a digital readout inches above 96 percent purity for his meth. The cartel is very pleased, with Gaff (a cartel sniper who also hijacked a Los Pollos Hermanos truck) saying "First of many!" - Jesse's first indication that the deal Gus made requires him to stay in Mexico.

All cartel leaders are poisoned as part of Gus's plot ("Salud")

Almost immediately, however, Mike relieves Jesse’s mind (and cements his loyalty) by saying “I promise you this—either we’re all going home or none of us are.” Gus’ plan is to poison the entire cartel household with some rare tequila (Zafiro Añejo) he offers to cartel kingpin Don Eladio as a gift; he even takes the first drink (after swallowing a couple of emetic pills earlier). When the party is in full swing, Gus excuses himself to go to the bathroom (with one of Eladio’s henchmen standing guard), where he throws up the poison and walks out to a poolside littered with the dead and dying.

With a last look of horror and outrage at Gus, Don Eladio dies, falls into the pool, and Mike pulls Don Eladio's necklace off the floating corpse. Having just garroted Gaff, Mike tells Jesse to grab a gun. After Gus shouts out a challenge to the compound to either get out and live or stay to fight and die, the three head for the hills. The pills Gus swallowed haven't rendered him completely immune to the poison's effects, however, and he doubles over in pain. Mike gets shot and Jesse returns fire at his assailant (later revealed to be Joaquin Salamanca), looking completely shocked when the man drops. Gus, Mike, and Jesse successfully rush away from the scene ("Salud").

Power Vacuum

The cartel was thrown into chaos, and a power vacuum emerged, following the mass poisoning of Don Eladio Vuente and the leading members of the organization. In its place, Gus' Drug Empire spreads its control of methamphetamine trade in the American Southwest. The empire is quickly brought down by former Cartel Underboss Hector Salamanca who kills Gus with the help of Walter White.

Cartel figures

Don Eladio Vuente (1989)

Gustavo Fring and Juan Bolsa

Hector Salamanca

Management & Finance

• Don Eladio Vuente †, boss
  • Don Juan Bolsa †, high level capo
  • Don Hector Salamanca †, former high level capo and patriarch of the Salamanca family
  • Don Paco †, high level capo
  • Don Cesar †, high-level capo
  • Don Renaldo †, high-level capo
  • Don Artuno †, high-level capo
  • Don Cisco †, high-level capo
  • Don Luis †, high-level capo
  • Don Escalada †, high-level capo

Enforcement

• Eladio Vuente †
  • Gaff †, Eladio's primary enforcer
  • Miguel †, Eladio's large bodyguard
  • Joaquin Salamanca †, Hector's grandson and one of Eladio's bodyguards
  • 8 Unnamed Hitmen †
• Salamanca Family †
  • Arturo Colon †, Hector's lieutenant
  • Eduardo "Lalo" Salamanca, Hector's nephew
  • The Cousins †, Leonel and Marco Salamanca, trigger-men
  • Tuco Salamanca †, Hector's nephew and drug distributor
    • Nacho Varga, Tuco's lieutenant
    • Gonzo †, Tuco's brother-in-law and lieutenant
    • No-Doze †, Tuco's lieutenant
• Gustavo Fring † (formerly), see Gus' Drug Empire

Manufacturing

• Benicio Fuentes †, the cartel's lead chemist
• Walter White † (formerly), Tuco's temporary American supplier and later betrayer
• Jesse Pinkman (formerly), Tuco's temporary American supplier and later betrayer

Distribution

• Ximenez Lecerda †, the truck driver who brings the drugs over the border for Hector Salamanca
• Domingo Molina †, a street dealer who works for Tuco
• Carlos, a street dealer who works for Tuco
• 2 unnamed Truck Drivers

Cartel's victims

Tortuga's head

• Max Arciniega (Killed by Hector Salamanca on Don Eladio's orders)
• Dog Paulsen (Shot with a sawed-off shotgun by Tuco in 1998)
• Unnamed Mexican national (Killed by Tuco with a knife in 2003)
• No-Doze (Beaten to death by Tuco Salamanca in a fit of rage)
• Tortuga (Decapitated by The Cousins on Juan Bolsa's orders)
• Unnamed DEA agent (Blown up by a bomb set by the Cartel)
• Nine Mexican stowaways (Shot at close proximity by the Cousins)
• Unnamed coyote driver (Shot in the back while fleeing from the Cousins)
• Mrs. Peyketewa (Killed by the Cousins)
• Bobby Kee (Stricken in the back with an axe by Marco Salamanca)
• Unnamed man (Shot to death by Marco Salamanca)
• Los Pollos driver #1 (Shot to death by the Cartel)
• Los Pollos driver #2 (Shot to death by Gaff and two unnamed assassins)
• Two Los Pollos guards (Suffocated by exhaust by Gaff and two unnamed assassins)
• Unnamed henchman (Shot with a sniper rifle by Gaff)
• Ximenez Lecerda (Killed by The Cousins on Hector Salamanca's orders)
• Unamned Good Samaritan (Killed by Hector Salamanca)