SUMMARY
La Barredora is one of the medium sized drug trafficking cartels in Mexico battling other cartels for control over territory and smuggling routes.
The Barredora Cartel has its roots in the breakup of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel in 2010. Following the arrest of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel boss, Arturo Beltrán Leyva, the cartel initially split into two groups. The first group was controlled by Héctor Beltrán Leyva, Arturo’s brother, the second group by Edgard “La Barbie” Valdes Villareal. These two factions fought a brief conflict for control over the Beltrán Leyva Cartel, (see 2010 conflict, Beltrán Leyva Cartel - Beltrán Leyva Cartel - Valdez Villareal faction).
La Barredora’s leader, Eder Jair Sosa Carvajal, also known as "El Cremas", along with Christian Hernández Tarín, also known as "El Chris" (arrested on 18 October 2011) and Víctor Manuel Rivera Galeana, also known as "El Gordo" (arrested on 4 November 2011) founded the cartel following the arrest of “La Barbie” on 30 August 2010.
The cartel’s area of operations appears to have centered on the resort area and port city of Acapulco. In 2011 La Barredora battled its rival, the Independent Cartel of Acapulco (also an off-shoot of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel) in Acapulco.
The Barredora was said to have had links to the Sinaloa Cartel. Some sources allege that the cartel may also have sent soldiers to fight the Zetas Cartel following their successful defeat and displacement of their rival the Independent Cartel of Acapulco in December, 2011.
Nevertheless, the conflict between the Cartel Independiente de Acapulco and La Barredora reignited in 2015 which lead to a significant increase of the drug related homicides that took place in Acapulco.
By 2016 several other cartels had made advantages into Acapulco and the violence became too intricate to be able to ascribe it to certain dyads. However, it was still clear that La Barredora continued to have a certain level of control over Acapulco's drug trade and involvement in the violence that took place in the area.
La Barredora has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.
