The reach of Cosa Notra stretches across two continents, and has established roots in the United

States since the 1920s. Cosa Notra operates behind the backs of law enforcement and deals in actions
such as: strategic violence, drug running, black market guns sales, human trafficking, bribery,
racketeering, money laundering, and arranged disappearances to name a few. The United States based
Italian members are suspected to be involved in criminal operations, on both an independent basis as well
as in conjunction with the American Cosa Notra members. Most of their illegal operations take place in
the northeast United States, but carry a heavy presence in Florida, Southern California, and other areas of
the Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest. Their most profitable excursion is in the area of heroin trafficking, and
continues to be the biggest importers of the illegal drug through various other connections, and gangs
most collaboration are with the drug cartels in Colombia. Currently Cosa Notra is involved heavily in the
drug and money laundering, but has made headlines in Italy with a recent political scandal involving a
Catholic Cardinal who had connections to Cosa Notra. He was being investigated on suspicion of using
confessions of local law enforcement, political figures and business owners against them in return for
money, favors, or information. During the course of his investigation he was accused of using his
connections to setup innocent people and draw attention away from himself. ("Cardinal Mahonys La
Cosa Nostra", 2009). There was also a recent drug bust where $750,000 in marijuana was disguised as
carrots and was attempted to be smuggled into the United States, the driver of the vehicle was said to have
ties to the Mexican drug cartels, as well as Italian and American connections to Cosa Notra, who is still
known for using multiple channels to get their drugs into the United States.
Cardinal Mahonys La Cosa Nostra. (2009). Retrieved from
http://www.crisismagazine.com/2013/cardinal-mahonys-la-cosa-nostra