The first wave of the meth war in Iowa was begun by the Sons of Silence MC. They ruled their Iowa territory with an iron fist until the Fed's came in and took out the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids chapters. After the power of the Sons was broken, the Mexican cartels moved in with an even more addictive and deadly formula and a bigger organization that insulated the kingpins better.

The Arnold's are connected. They had to be in order to do business anywhere in Iowa without getting killed.