This chapter explores the alliances and conflicts between criminal organisations and government actors, emphasising how these relationships facilitated the exploitation of protected areas for drug trafficking activities. This chapter continues the diachronic analysis of drug trafficking in Mexico. We focus on analysing how the relations and peace pacts between criminal groups and government actors facilitated their consolidation as drug cartels in what is known as “Pax narcotica” or “Pax narca” in which the State did not interfere in the activities of the drug cartels and there was apparent peace in the regions of the country. The structure of this chapter is articulated with the temporary emergence of protected areas as a governmental strategy for environmental conservation at the same time as the consolidation of the cartels. Methodologically, documentary analysis and interviews with environmental inspectors and directors in the protected areas are used to rescue experiences and document the forms of environmental conservation in contexts of insecurity and drug trafficking.