Cartels in Mexico

 

🇲🇽 Major Cartels in Mexico

1. Sinaloa Cartel

• Founded: Late 1980s

• Base: Sinaloa state

• Former leader: Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán

• One of the most powerful and globally connected cartels.

• Known for trafficking fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin.

• Operates in Mexico, the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

• After El Chapo’s imprisonment, leadership shifted to factions including his sons (“Los Chapitos”).

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2. Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)

• Leader: Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (“El Mencho”)

• Base: Jalisco state

• One of the fastest-growing and most violent cartels.

• Known for military-style tactics and heavy weaponry.

• Major player in synthetic drugs (especially fentanyl and meth).

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3. Gulf Cartel

• Founded: 1930s (one of the oldest)

• Base: Tamaulipas

• Previously allied with Los Zetas.

• Now weakened and fragmented, but still active in border trafficking.

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4. Los Zetas

• Formed by former Mexican special forces members.

• Known for extreme violence.

• Fragmented into smaller groups after leadership arrests.

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5. La Familia Michoacana

• Based in Michoacán.

• Mixes criminal activity with pseudo-religious ideology.

• Splintered into factions over time.

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6. Knights Templar Cartel

• Broke off from La Familia.

• Claimed to be a “self-defense” group but was involved in drug trafficking and extortion.

• Weakened but still active in some regions.
  
  

  
  

• 🔥 Key Event: Death of “El Mencho”

  • The Mexican Army killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (“El Mencho”), the long-time leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during a military operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco. This was one of the most high-profile blows to organized crime in Mexico in years.

  💥 Immediate Aftermath: Spike in Violence

  • Following his death, violent reprisals erupted across Jalisco and other states, including fires, heavy gun battles, roadblocks with burning vehicles, and attacks on security forces.

  • Reports from authorities indicate dozens of security personnel were killed in retaliatory attacks by cartel fighters after the operation, including many in Jalisco itself.

  • Schools were canceled, transportation disrupted, and major cities like Guadalajara and tourist hubs like Puerto Vallarta experienced chaos and shelter-in-place warnings.

  🇲🇽 Impact on Civilians & Daily Life

  • Local governments declared Code Red alerts and warned residents and tourists to take precautions and stay indoors.

  • Airports and roads were temporarily disrupted due to fires and blockades set up by organized crime groups.

  • Foreign embassies (e.g., Indian, British, U.S.) issued safety advisories for people in Jalisco to exercise caution and “shelter in place.”

  🧠 Broader Security Concerns

  • Analysts and officials warn the death of a cartel leader often leads to unstable power struggles within criminal groups, which can provoke further violence as factions fight for control.

  • The CJNG’s operational reach and capacity for organized violence have long made Jalisco and surrounding regions among the most volatile parts of Mexico’s drug war landscape even before this recent escalation.