MEXICO (By The Associated Press) November 7, 2005 — Mexico's two main drug gangs are the Juarez Cartel and the Gulf Cartel. They're fighting for control of smuggling routes — including in Nuevo Laredo, a busy city bordering Laredo, Texas. The Gulf Cartel has allied with the Arellano-Felix gang, based in Tijuana.

In Colombia, a large share of cocaine trafficking is controlled by outlawed right-wing paramilitary forces and their left-wing rebel foes — the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The Norte del Valle, or Northern Valley, cartel is also a major trafficking group.

Most of the Caribbean drug traffickers wanted by the United States are in Jamaica.

Here are profiles of key players:

MEXICO:

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman: Escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001, and mounted a battle for control of Mexico's drug trade. Believed to have allied with the Juarez cartel, and is fighting the Gulf Cartel for control of Nuevo Laredo.

Vicente Carrillo Fuentes: A leader of the powerful Juarez cartel and brother of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, known as "Lord of the Skies" for flying shipments of cocaine into the U.S. Amado is believed to have died in 1997 during botched plastic surgery.

Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada: Got his start as a hit man for the Juarez cartel. An ally of Guzman, Zambada formed his own drug gang more than a decade ago in the Pacific Coast city of Mazatlan. Believed to control smuggling routes leading from Sonora, Mexico, into Arizona.

Juan Jose "El Azul" Esparragoza: Thought by U.S. investigators to be replacing Carrillo Fuentes as leader of the Juarez cartel, because of his strong ties to Colombian gangs and other Mexican smugglers. Has been indicted in the U.S. on conspiracy to import, conspiracy to possess and importation of a controlled substance. Believed to be allied with Guzman and Zambada.

Ignacio Coronel Villareal: Believed to be the forerunner in producing massive amounts of methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories in Mexico, then smuggling it into the U.S. Based in Guadalajara, Coronel Villareal's drug gang is in alliance with the Juarez cartel.

Osiel Cardenas: Leader of the Gulf cartel, which is fighting to retain control of Nuevo Laredo. Arrested in 2003 during a shootout in Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas. Still runs his gang from jail in La Palma Prison, outside of Mexico City.

Benjamin Arellano Felix: Leader of the Tijuana-based Arellano Felix gang, which lost influence after his arrest and the death of his brother, Ramon, both in 2002. Has allegedly formed an alliance with Cardenas because both are being held at La Palma prison.

COLOMBIA:

Diego Fernando Murillo: U.S. justice officials say Murillo headed cocaine transportation and financial operations for Colombia's paramilitary factions. He has not been formally charged in Colombia and in September was moved from house arrest to prison. The U.S. seeks his extradition for drug trafficking but Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has ruled it out as long as Murillo quits committing crimes and complies with a peace accord between the Colombian government and the paramilitary United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC.

Diego Montoya: Founder of Colombia's Norte del Valle cocaine cartel, who appears on the FBI's 10 most wanted list for producing U.S.-bound cocaine. The cartel became Colombia's most powerful after the dismantling of the Medellin and Cali cartels in the 1980s and early 1990s. Officials believe it's behind 30 percent of the cocaine sent to the United States.

Wilber Varela: Leads a splinter faction of the Norte del Valle cartel in Colombia, and has warred against Diego Montoya for control of cocaine trafficking.

Tomas Medina Caracas: Chief of the 16th Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which operates along Colombia's border with Brazil. Using the pseudonym "El Negro Acacio," Medina allegedly manufactured and sold cocaine to international drug traffickers in exchange for money, weapons and equipment for FARC. The rebel group began fighting for social justice for the poor in the 1960s but is now among Colombia's biggest drug trafficking organizations.

GUATEMALA:

Otto Herrera: He built a smuggling syndicate on Guatemala's Caribbean Coast that moved up to two tons of cocaine per month to the U.S. through El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico. He was captured at Mexico City's airport in 2004 and escaped from a medium-security Mexico City prison in May. Guatemalan authorities say the 40-year-old has returned to his homeland and is trying to form a Central America-wide drug gang to stand up to powerful Mexican and Colombian traffickers. American investigators have offered up to $5 million for information leading to his capture.

CARIBBEAN:

Leebert Ramcharan: A Jamaican businessman labeled a "drug kingpin" by President Bush in 2004 under a law that targets alleged significant foreign traffickers. Ramcharan, 45, is accused of conspiracy to import South American cocaine into the United States from Jamaica between 1998 and 2004. Arrested in 2004 in Montego Bay, he is fighting extradition in the Jamaican courts.

Norris Nembhard: Jamaican trucking company owner also named a "drug kingpin" by Bush and accused of being a major figure in the same cocaine-trafficking ring as Ramcharan. Arrested in 2004 in Jamaica, he is also fighting extradition to the United States.