Just as Guzmán and the new cartels operate within the logic of the "legal" economy, and become major investors in it, so the "legal" economy and polity embrace the cartels.
In the world of narco-genealogy, which is no different from the generational evolution of any corporation, new cartels like the Zetas set the scene for our world of pure, unfettered capitalism in the wake of the now outdated patrician corporate model.
A new cartel, La Familia Michoacána, broke off from a larger group, then cemented its power by deploying extreme, theatrical violence.
But if we ignore the ways in which mobile carriers are trying to create a new cartel of their own, we'll be in even worse trouble.
The abduction was seen as a possible sign the power of the imprisoned drug lord is waning and a new cartel is trying to take his place.
As Cardona came of age as a petty criminal, a brash new cartel, the Zetas, was asserting itself in Mexico's drug economy and developing a reputation for tactics of unparalleled cruelty.
A person close to the commission said that the rise in the number of new cartel investigations in recent years may be partly attributable to a change in the commission's rules, allowing it to offer immunity from penalties to a cartel participant that blows the whistle on the collusion.
On a particularly hot morning last week a patch of asphalt on Bulevar Ampliacion Cuatro Siglos revealed a new cartel tactic: it started with a bloodied, naked foot, continued with chunks of leg, then a trunk, then arms, hands and finally, 200 metres further, a head on the bonnet of a black Nissan.
In this retelling, a man tries to unite various drug growers and dealers in Mexico under a new cartel based in Guadalajara.
In our upcoming, three-part VICE special, we take an exclusive look at the new cartel wars and the legacy left behind by Escobar.
In doing so, the government ended up supporting factions of the vigilantes who some have alleged are essentially the new cartel in town.
