Who: Mara Salvatrucha (MS‑13)
Founded: 1980s among Salvadoran migrants in Los Angeles
Region they operate: Central America, Mexico, and cities across the United States
Allies and enemies: Local alliances shift; rivals include other gangs and law‑enforcement agencies
Who: Gulf Cartel
Founded: 1930s–1940s as a smuggling organization in Tamaulipas
Region they operate: Northeastern Mexico and the U.S.–Mexico border
Allies and enemies: Alliances with and against various cartels; rivals include Zetas offshoots and CJNG
Who: New Generation Jalisco Cartel (CJNG)
Founded: Around 2010 in Jalisco, Mexico
Region they operate: Western and central Mexico and international trafficking routes
Allies and enemies: Highly expansionist; main rivals are the Sinaloa cartel, other gangs, and Mexican security forces
Who: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC‑EP)
Founded: 1964 as a Marxist peasant guerrilla movement
Region they operate: Formerly much of rural Colombia; today mainly dissident fronts
Allies and enemies: Leftist insurgent legacy; fought Colombian military and right‑wing paramilitaries
Who: National Liberation Army (ELN)
Founded: 1960s as a Marxist guerrilla group
Region they operate: Rural Colombia and border regions in Venezuela
Allies and enemies: Leftist insurgent; enemies are the Colombian state and some rival armed groups
