The Sinaloa car­tel is impres­sive, scary and tremen­dously rich:

As a mir­ror image of a legal com­modi­ties busi­ness, the Sinaloa car­tel brings to mind that old line about Gin­ger Rogers doing all the same moves as Fred Astaire, only back­ward and in heels. In its longevity, prof­itabil­ity and scope, it might be the most suc­cess­ful crim­i­nal enter­prise in history.

How a Mex­i­can Drug Car­tel Makes Its Bil­lions on The New York Times.