Jalisco New Generation Cartel Is Now the Largest Criminal Group in Mexico Sylvia Longmire - In Homeland Security
go to original December 30, 2016

While many people have heard of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán and the drug empire he used to control, the Sinaloa Federation, not nearly as many have heard of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The name itself is a mouthful, but this organization that started out as a Sinaloa offshoot comprised of deserters from the now-defunct Milenio cartel is now the most powerful trafficking entity in Mexico.

Animal Politico explained that the CJNG distributes cocaine and methamphetamine along 10,000 kilometers of the Pacific coast in a route that extends from the Southern Cone to the borders of the United States and Canada. Information from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other U.S. and Mexican authorities indicated the CJNG also has distribution operations in Asia, Oceania, and Europe, and has an active presence in 14 Mexican states - almost half the country.

The CJNG got its start as the armed wing of the notorious Sinaloa Federation, originating in roughly 2010 and operating almost exclusively in the Guadalajara area. According to InsightCrime.org, the CJNG arose after the 2010 death of Ignacio “Nacho” Coronel, the Federation’s representative in Jalisco, which unleashed a fight for succession. The CJNG won in large part because of its solid ties with the Milenio Cartel, also known as the Cartel of the Valencia brothers, an old criminal structure that dominated Michoacán until the year 2000. However, it didn’t take long for their presence to expand to the areas of Veracruz, Guerrero, Morelos, Colima, Guanajuato, and Michoacán as part of the Federation’s seemingly never-ending war with rival Los Zetas.

In April 2012, security firm Stratfor assessed that the relationship between the Federation and the CJNG was very solid. However, it’s growth and regional dominance have allowed the CJNG to step away from the umbrella of the Federation and make a name for itself separate and apart. The group has fully injected itself into conflict with the Knights Templar in Michoacán and Guerrero, all while taking advantage of the logistical benefits of being based out of the megacity of Guadalajara. This gives the group access to maritime ports where methamphetamine precursor chemicals are brought in from Asia, as well as access to prime smuggling routes to the US border.

Read the rest at In Homeland Security

Photo: Wikipedia

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