The Hutt Cartel was a powerful criminal syndicate, or business alliance of Hutts. Jabba Desilijic Tiure held considerable power in the Cartel. It maintained a personal military consisting of both an army and a starfleet. It waged war with the Zann Consortium until the Battle of Hypori.
"Although the Hutt Cartels resented the Sith Emperor for not including them in his pre-war conspiracy, Imperial Intelligence had somehow blocked the Republic's efforts to win the Hutt's support."
A member of the Hutt Cartel during the Great Galactic War
During the time of the Great Galactic War, the Hutt Cartel was displeased with the Sith Emperor because he did not include them in his plans and intrigues. However, due to the subterfuge of Imperial Intelligence agents, the Republic was unsuccessful in gaining the Hutts' support against the Empire. The Cartel remained neutral in the war, like most others in the criminal underworld.
It is known that the Cartel had control of the Kaer Orbital Platform a few decades before the Clone Wars after they forced the InterGalactic Banking Clan off the Platform, however they later abandoned the platform when they regarded it as worthless.
Boorka the Hutt held considerable power in the Cartel. During the Clone Wars he co-operated with Sev'rance Tann during the early days of the War after he gathered information about the Decimator a Republic superweapon which was still in development. He was annoyed by the Galactic Republic's trade activity near his territory and agreed to reveal their secret plan to the Separatists.
He lost most of his forces, except a few mercenaries for turning against Jabba but he instead was protected by the Separatists. As a reward, he would give them information about the Decimator, provided that Tann destroyed the Republic Spaceport. After she destroyed the spaceport, Boorka gave her the information she needed.
Boorka was later killed by Republic forces during the Second Battle of Tatooine, who were deeply encouraged to do so by Jabba the Hutt after he offered the Republic a 5,000 nova crystalbounty to kill him. Jabba assisted the Republic GeneralEchuu Shen-Jon in return during the Second Battle of Tatooine.
After Jabba's Empirebecame an ally of the Republic in 21 BBY, the Hutt Cartel subsequently joined allegiance with the Republic as well.
Sometime before the Rebels had emerged, the cartel took control of a few planets such as Felucia. Jabba also set up a communications relay on Saleucami to keep an eye on the Empire.
During the Galactic Civil War, Jabba formed an alliance with Tyber Zann which was quite successful until Zann stole his valuable Sith artifact on Felucia. Zann was caught, however, and he gave the artifact to Urai Fen, his second in command, and Zann was imprisoned on Kessel. Since the artifact was quite costly, the Hutt Cartel acquired all assets of the Zann Consortium as compensation.
Later on, Zann broke out of Kessel and rebuilt his forces. Using his Defilers, the Zann Consortium corrupted many of the Cartel's planets and took control of Saleucami. This conflict lasted until the Battle of Hypori, when Tyber Zann forced Jabba to give up his holdings on Hypori and Saleucami. This left the Cartel crippled but not destroyed and allowed the Zann Consortium to grow unhindered.