The criminal syndicate known as the Rath Cartel operated during the Great Galactic War, a conflict that pitted the Galactic Republic against the Sith Empire in the era. As an associate of the Hutt Cartel, the Rath Cartel engaged in smuggling weaponry and employing mercenaries as they sought to outmaneuver their competitor, the Vandelhelm Combine, in a conflict that would eventually be called the Syndicate Wars.
However, at some point between 3667 BBY and 3661 BBY, the conflict escalated and encroached upon a trade route overseen by the infamous gangster Nok Drayen. Drayen swiftly responded against both organizations to safeguard his own financial interests. To exact revenge, Drayen leveraged his connections with Gank mercenaries, Hutts, and Sith Empire officials to dismantle both criminal enterprises. The Syndicate Wars concluded when Drayen launched an assault on the Combine's base of operations, while concurrently orchestrating the assassination of the Rath Cartel's leader; subsequently, Drayen seized all of the organizations' assets for his personal gain.
The Rath Cartel received its initial mention in the 2011 Star Wars: The Old Republic video game.