Mexicos Jalisco Cartel Faces Uncertainty After El Menchos Death

Mexican Cartel Leader’s Death Sparks Widespread Unrest

On February 22, Mexican authorities announced the killing of Ruben Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho”, the longtime leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The cartel’s members responded with violence, setting fire to buses and taxis and erecting blockades in 20 states.

The CJNG operates under a unique franchise-based structure, allowing smaller cells to operate independently while maintaining a vast financial network. This model enables the group to expand its reach across multiple countries, including Mexico, the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

According to the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the CJNG maintains a presence in every state of Mexico and operates in over 40 countries worldwide. The cartel’s primary activity is the trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

Experts note that the CJNG avoids a centralized financial network, instead distributing profits across multiple locations and groups simultaneously. This structure allows the group to maintain its power and influence despite the loss of its leader.

The CJNG generates revenue through various means, including fuel theft, illegal mining, extortion, migrant smuggling, and money laundering. The organization also uses forced disappearances and extortion as tools to control the market and silence communities.

In recent years, the CJNG has been linked to a series of high-profile crimes, including timeshare fraud networks targeting elderly Americans. The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) recently sanctioned a timeshare fraud network led by the CJNG.

The CJNG’s extensive reach and rapid growth are attributed to its vast network of protectors, which shield drug trafficking operations and ensure impunity. This network has been described as “hegemonic power networks” that reconfigure state institutions to serve their own interests.

As the CJNG continues to operate under this franchise-based structure, it remains a significant force in Mexico’s organized crime landscape.

Source: Al Jazeera