Social Embeddedness, Multiplexity, and Criminal Collaboration Within the Sinaloa Cartel

Objectives This study examines how social embeddedness and multiplex social ties shape criminal collaboration in the Sinaloa Cartel. It investigates how different types of relationships—such as kinship, friendship, meetings, and compadre ties—influence participation in drug crimes and broader forms of collaboration. Methods Drawing on trial transcripts from Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera's U.S. federal case, we reconstructed social networks among 188 actors. Using social network analysis and Logistic Regression Quadratic Assignment Procedure (LRQAP) models, we assessed the conditional associations of different social ties with drug crimes and criminal collaboration, controlling for demographic and organizational characteristics. Results Friendship and meeting ties exhibited the strongest associations with drug crimes and criminal collaboration. Familial ties were initially significant but lost their effect once shared cartel affiliation was considered, suggesting a mediating role of organizational membership. Compadre and prison ties showed no significant associations. Conclusions Trust-based relationships such as friendships and meetings play a pivotal role in fostering collaboration within organized crime groups. Familial ties may exert indirect effects through shared cartel affiliation. The findings underscore the importance of distinguishing between types of social ties and demonstrate the value of trial transcripts as a source for advancing empirical research on organized crime.