Cerberus (ME:Redux)

Cerberus is a human-survivalist paramilitary group led by the enigmatic Illusive Man. Cerberus' core belief is that humans deserve a greater role in the galactic community, and that the Systems Alliance is too hamstrung by law and public opinion to stand up effectively to the other Citadel races. Cerberus operates off of the principle that the ends justify the means, and the Illusive Man believes that any methods of advancing humanity's ascension are entirely justified, including illegal or dangerous experimentation, assassinations, and sabotage. Cerberus' operatives are quite aware of what the organization has done in the past but they largely accept that history will vindicate them when they help humanity achieve primacy in the galaxy. Nevertheless, prior to Reaper War, the Systems Alliance and the Citadel Council perceived Cerberus to be a terrorist organization and prosecuted identified Cerberus agents accordingly.

After the raid on the Collector base
Following the investigations into the disappearance of human colonists in frontier colonies, and Commander Shepard's mission through the Omega-4 Relay, Cerberus gained a lot of support of colonists who believed the Alliance was not committed to their protection. The Illusive Man, sensing a possible opportunity for building legitimate support, struck deals with several colonies to be their protectors. The Alliance, dealing with their own PR issues and unrest from the populations, were in no position to contest them

Cells
Cerberus mainly operates as independent cells which have no knowledge of their counterparts, which ensures that should one cell be compromised, they cannot give away the identities or locations of the other cells. Each cell is led by an operative who reports directly to the Illusive Man. Cerberus operates many kinds of cells, ranging from military to political to scientific, but all united under the common goal of advancing humanity. Cerberus also has operatives throughout the Alliance, often embedded in high-ranking positions, giving the Illusive Man constant updates and feeding him information that would otherwise be classified.

By 2185, Cerberus consisted of 150 operatives organized into three cells. The Illusive Man oversees all projects carried out by the cells personally; consequently, there are never more than a dozen projects active at one time. This degree of micro-management leaves the organization vulnerable should the Illusive Man ever be compromised, though he has been smart enough to avoid detection so far.