'Narconomics': How The Drug Cartels Operate Like Wal-Mart And McDonald's- Tori Gilchrist, 1st period

As it turns out, the Mexican drug cartels function pretty similarly to McDonald's or Starbucks. Tom Wainwright is the Mexico correspondent for "The Economist", a popular British newspaper/magazine. He traveled to Mexico to learn more about the big industries there,  the oil industry, the tequila trade, and of course, the drug cartel. He explains that one of the most gruesome and violent cartels, the Zetas, function like a capitalistic business. They travel to various cities all over Mexico and Central America to get into contact with local criminals. They then set up a kind of deal that goes, "I'll let you be part of the Zetas and give you a cool hat and t-shirt, and in return, you give me some of the money you get for doing your crimes around here", ultimately setting up a franchise. An illegal drug franchise. Wainwright found out that the cartel also faces similar issues as commonplace companies - encroachment, reputation, managing the staff, etc.

In America, it's rare for mafias or gangs to be a threat on a national level. However, organized crime of the early 20th century has an imprint that still remains in our courts, police departments, and textbooks. Those gangs (think Al Capone, Baby Face Nelson) were focused on distributing alcohol during the prohibition rather than drugs. Gang violence is still an everyday threat, though; one that many Mexican citizens face everyday.