The Cartel
Don Eladio's Juárez Cartel, which Gus Fring serves and secretly plans to destroy.
The cartel in the Breaking Bad franchise is the Juárez Cartel, led by Don Eladio Vuente with Juan Bolsa as his right-hand man. Hector Salamanca works as Eladio's subordinate, and the Salamanca family drug business covers Albuquerque. The cartel preferred to keep distributing cocaine rather than expand into methamphetamine.
Lore & Background
When Gus Fring and his partner Max Arciniega offered to expand the cartel's trade into meth, Eladio declined and had Hector kill Max for selling meth in cartel territory without permission. Eladio spared Gus but forced him to cooperate with the cartel on Eladio's terms. Gus's Los Pollos Hermanos chain then served as a front for distributing the cartel's cocaine, while for the next 20 years he stayed outwardly loyal and nursed a grudge against Hector, Eladio and Bolsa.
Reader's Guide
Read with the pages for Gus Fring, Hector Salamanca and the Salamanca Family.
More in Factions & Groups
Elsewhere in Better Call Saul
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