Santa Cruz Cartel

{{Short description|Bolivian drug cartel}}

{{Infobox Criminal organization

|image_size =

|image =

|caption =

|founded =

|leaders =

|founding_location =

|years_active = 1980s – present

|membership est =

|territory = Santa Cruz Department

|ethnicity = Bolivians

|membership =

|activities = Drug trafficking, money laundering, murder, car bombing, assassination

|allies = Medellín Cartel, Comando Vermelho

|rivals = La Corporación, Bolivian government

}}

The Santa Cruz Cartel ({{langx|es|Cártel de Santa Cruz}}) or La Conexión is a Bolivian drug cartel and criminal organization, said to be one of the largest in the country, headquartered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.{{cite web|url=http://www.insightcrime.org/news-analysis/foreign-cocaine-cartels-subcontract-bolivian-crime-families |title=Foreign Cartels 'Subcontract' Bolivian Crime Families |website=Insightcrime.org |date=October 2012 |access-date=2017-01-12}}

The cartel was responsible for multiple narco-terrorist incidents in the 1980s, including assassination attempts on Drug Enforcement Administration agents and bombing attempts on politicians.{{cite web|url=http://www.photius.com/countries/bolivia/national_security/bolivia_national_security_narcoterrorism.html |title=Bolivia Narcoterrorism - Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate, Natural Resources, Current Issues, International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System |website=Photius.com |access-date=2017-01-12}}

The Santa Cruz Cartel is strongly allied with drug trafficking organizations in Colombia, Brazil and Mexico, though is involved in various turf wars against smaller drug gangs.{{cite web|url=http://canadafreepress.com/article/bolivia-and-the-drug-cartels |title=Bolivia and the Drug Cartels |website=Canadafreepress.com |access-date=2017-01-12}} Local intelligence states that members of the Comando Vermelho (Red Command) drug gang have fled the favelas of Brazil to Santa Cruz in order to escape the Federal Police.{{cite web|url=http://www.insightcrime.org/news-analysis/santa-cruz-emerges-as-bolivia-trafficking-hub |title=Santa Cruz Emerges as Bolivia Trafficking Hub |website=Insightcrime.org |date=26 July 2011 |access-date=2017-01-12}}