… in Mexico City, where President Obama will travel today to confront a horrific cycle of narcotics-spurred violence, gender roles aren’t nearly as clear cut. In a culture known for its machismo, women command a startling degree of authority over the Mexican drug mafia. They run its finances, major smuggling operations, even run entire cartels.
Still at large are some of the country’s most powerful female criminals, among them, Enedina Arellano Félix, head of the Tijuana Cartel. Like most high-ranking women in the drug business, Enedina started out laundering money. Keeping a low profile, she gradually established operations across California and Northwestern Mexico. She is the sister of the notorious Arellano Félix brothers, who dominated the smuggling world throughout the 1990s. Following the arrests and murders of several of her brothers, Enedina has increasingly taken the helm of their organization. Those close to her describe her as reserved, calculating, and highly intelligent.
According to Dr. Shirk, Mexican women find it easier to enter the narcotics trade through the financial side of the business because they are perceived to be better with money. Contrary to stereotypes in America, it is Mexican men who are seen as wasteful shoppers, splurging on mansions, fancy cars, and—the latest trend—exotic animals. “In a lot of Mexican households,” explains Shirk, “despite machismo, the household and its finances are run by the mother figure.” Women are also less likely to arouse suspicion, flying below the radar of law enforcement.
Laura Zúñiga
The most famous narconovia of recent times is perhaps Laura Zúñiga. Like Sandra Beltrán, she was a queen—a beauty queen. Crowned Miss Sinaloa 2008, she went on to win the coveted Miss Hispanic America pageant later that year. She lost it all, however, when she was arrested in December along with her boyfriend and six other suspected smugglers. They were caught with several 9-millimeter pistols, semiautomatic rifles, and over $50,000 in cash. She was charged with possession of illegal weapons, drug trafficking, and money laundering, but was released a month later due to lack of evidence.
via – The Daily Beast “Queenpins of the Drug Cartels“
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