New dark web markets claim association with criminal cartels

guest · Aug 10, 2022

August 10, 2022

Several new marketplaces have appeared on the dark web, claiming to be the dedicated online portals for notorious criminal cartels from Mexico.

Those markets offer drugs and hitman services just like they would in the real world and attempt to add legitimacy to their listed goods by alleging to be backed by “experienced” actors in their respective fields.
The emergence of these markets was spotted by DarkOwl analysts, who identified a trend, shifting from large markets that drew law enforcement attention to smaller, less publicized sites.
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New markets
The most notable examples presented in the DarkOwl report include a mix of new and older markets that became prominent due to circumstantial market conditions changes.

Some of the sites mentioned below were recently refreshed with new features and a user-friendly interface, trying to draw an audience interested in illicit offerings.
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Cartel de Sinaloa (C.D.S. Market) – Market supposedly linked to “Cártel de Sinaloa,” a Mexico-based crime syndicate. Sells drugs, chemicals, weapons, malware, money laundering, and hitman services, and also has an escrow payments system.

Cartel Gulf Texas – Affiliated to Sinaloa gangs, this market promises drug shipping from Laredo, Texas, to anywhere in the world via USPS.

Los Urabenos – Linked to “Clan del Golfo,” a paramilitary group in Colombia, this market sells pure (90%+) cocaine and hitman services. The vendors on this site claim to have completed 750 orders with 400 clients.

Cartel Jalisco Nuevo Generation (CJNG) – Associated with the same-name gang in Mexico, the market boasts of being “the most trusted bulk cocaine seller in the world.” It supports dead drops via sea or air cargo and accepts Bitcoin payments.

Ausline – A market focusing on Australian and New Zealand audiences and established by a prominent darknet vendor who allegedly has direct links to a Colombian cocaine flakes producer named the “Scorpion Cartel.”

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Many of these markets have been around since 2020 but have seen a sudden spike in activity lately due to the closure of large decentralized drug-focused markets where these alleged cartel site operators claimed to be successful vendors.

Regardless of the authenticity of those novel or recently-awoken cartel markets, their new status on the dark web indicates a shift in the dynamics of the space, with larger markets closing down and being replaced by smaller, niche shops.
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DarkOwl: Darknet Cartel Associated Marketplaces

In recent months, DarkOwl analysts discovered multiple escrow-enabled decentralized marketplaces on the dark web that claim to be affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel.

Upon looking closer at these alleged cartel-tied darknet operations, our analysts found that there are Tor services for numerous other criminal cartels, in addition to the Sinaloa Cartel including: Los Urabenos from Colombia, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Cartel Darknet Shop, Gulf Cartel Texas, and a non-specified cartel market simply titled, “DW drugs cartel.” We also found several darknet drug vendor services such as Ausline that advertise possible associations with prominent cartels.
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New dark web markets claim association with criminal cartels

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