Colombian Cartel

The Colombian Cartel (aka the "Cartel" in Grand Theft Auto Advance) is a prominent South American drug syndicate in Liberty City and the main group of antagonists in Grand Theft Auto III.

GTA III and GTA Liberty City Stories
The Colombian Cartel is exceptionally well armed, and are led by Catalina and Miguel to produce and supply the drug SPANK in Liberty City. It is suggested by Liberty City police records that the Colombian Cartel may be using the local airport and a harbor freight as a front to smuggle the SPANK drug into Liberty City, although they have yet to thoroughly prove this. In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Rise FM DJ Boy Sanchez mentions having tried a new drug on the street called "SPANK". This means that SPANK was at least in production in 1998. Miguel was leading this cartel during this period as well; it is unknown when Catalina joined the cartel but she is seen with Claude and Cartel members robbing a bank in the beginning of GTA III. Catalina shot her boyfriend Claude and took off with the money the pair had just robbed from a bank. After Claude's feud with the Triads ceases, he faces the Colombian Cartel as a new and worse enemy for the rest of the game.

Miguel is later linked to the assassination of Yakuza leader Kenji Kasen, although he actually had nothing to do with it (real estate mogul Donald Love ordered Claude to make it look like the Cartel's doing to start a gang war and drive real estate prices down). He is later chained up in the incomplete skyscraper in Fort Staunton by Kenji's sister Asuka and tortured non-stop until he is killed by Catalina, when she kidnaps Maria and kills Asuka. Catalina assumes command of the Cartel herself. After trying to escape in a helicopter, her helicopter is shot down by Claude as revenge for betraying him, and trying to kill him.

It is clear that the Cartel is linked to the Panlantic Construction Company, a company serving as both a legitimate construction company and a front for illegal operations. In GTA Liberty City Stories, Cartel members were hired by Panlantic as bodyguards for Avery Carrington, who was working for Panlantic and arrived in Liberty City to acquire real estate for development. After Avery was killed by Toni Cipriani, Donald Love took over negotiations with Panlantic to seal the deal on developing Fort Staunton, which would be later destroyed by bombs planted by Cipriani. In GTA III, the construction site in Fort Staunton serves as the Cartel's turf in Staunton Island until it is seized by the Yakuza, erupting into an endless gang war.

With Catalina's death it is certain the gang lost a lot of influence in the city as it would be taken over by a less competent member.

Cartel members wear Hawaiian shirts, combat pants, hats resembling Akubras and boots in GTA III. In GTA Liberty City Stories, the same members wear red or blue shirts with brown vests, pairs of pants and jewelry. Their favorite radio stations are Flashback FM and Rise FM.

Mission Appearances
GTA III
 * Introduction
 * Bomb Da Base Act II
 * Deal Steal
 * Arms Shortage
 * Liberator
 * Grand Theft Aero
 * Escort Service
 * Decoy
 * Bait
 * Espresso-2-Go!
 * S.A.M.
 * The Exchange (Wiped Out)

GTA Liberty City Stories
 * Contra-Banned
 * Panlantic Land Grab
 * Love on the Run

Gallery
Cartel Colombien