Drug cartels are big business for Hollywood, but these institutions are by no means acts of fiction. Drug cartels are real, and some are still present in the United States today.

Over the span of a few decades, some drug cartels have made history with their long list of criminal acts, ability to elude law enforcement, and the amount of money they earned that contributed to an astounding net worth.

While you have dozens of cartels to choose from, five stand out in history. These five drug cartels not only made it into criminal history textbooks, but they also are the driving force behind some of the harshest drug policies in the country.

Infographic by drug trafficking attorney