Jacob Diaz

Weeks earlier, while in Acapulco, Diaz placed an order for 50 kilograms of corn.

During the next two weeks, a large shipment of product was transported from Acapulco to Mexico City.

From there, the corn was moved upcountry to the border town of Reynosa.

There, the product was delivered to members of Los Zetas, the organization in control of the Reynosa Plaza.

Within hours, the shipment was dispatched to a nondescript warehouse where Diaz's load was concealed in one of a fleet of vehicles, all of which had been outfitted with hidden compartments.

Days later, during the shift of a crooked U.S.

Border Patrol agent, Diaz's 50 kilos passed through the border.

Once on American soil, the product was delivered to a driver in Brownsville, Texas, who then transported the car to Houston.

There, Diaz's driver took possession of the vehicle.

At that moment, the driver was traversing the perilous U.S.

interstate system, avoiding checkpoints and highway patrols, from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, where, ultimately, he would arrive in Florida.

Once outside of Orlando, in the shadow of Disney World, Diaz had to be there to meet him.

After a long, uncomfortable gaze, the earnest female customs agent gave Diaz a curt nod of approval, handed him his passport, and said, Welcome back to the U.S., Mr. Diaz.

Minutes later, Jacob stepped through the airport's automatic doors into the scorching Florida heat holding his bags.

He rendezvoused with the driver of the 50 kilos.

Inside of a week, he'd delivered the product to various distributors and picked up several hundred thousand dollars in outstanding debts.

Then, Diaz arrived back at the airport for a return flight to Mexico.

The modern-day Sinaloa cartel, known internally as El Federacion, the Federation, was born out of a strategic alliance entered into by five kingpins,

one of whom was Arturo Beltranleva.

The federation, formed during a meeting in 2002 in Monterey, attended by Beltranleva, Yoquan El Chapo Guzman, and three other drug lords, was created out of necessity.