Drug cartels are organized criminal groups that control the production and distribution of illegal drugs. They represent a significant threat to public safety and national security. The term "drug cartel" could be substituted with "narcotrafficking organization", "drug trafficking cartel", "organized crime syndicate" or "illicit drug network". These synonyms represent the same illicit activities as a drug cartel, and they are used to describe similar criminal organizations that operate across different countries and regions. The use of different synonyms for drug cartel could help law enforcement agencies understand the structure and operations of these criminal organizations and develop effective strategies to combat them.