CJNG Cartel Faces Hemisphere-Wide Law Enforcement Pressure

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) persists as a transnational threat, even after the death of its longtime leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias El Mencho, in a February 22, 2026 operation by Mexican Army Special Forces. The United States designated the group a Foreign Terrorist Organization in February 2025.

Recent U.S. Legal actions highlight the ongoing pressure. On August 5, the Department of Justice announced new charges against five senior CJNG leaders. Simultaneously, the State Department offered over $100 million in rewards for information leading to the arrest of eight cartel-linked fugitives. These cases, developed by agencies including the DEA, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations, depict a network involved in drug and weapons trafficking, money laundering, and fraud.

A separate indictment on August 26 targeted brothers Ramón and Rafael Álvarez Ayala, alleged CJNG regional commanders in Michoacán, for trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine to the U.S. And firearms offenses. Mexican geostrategy specialist Abraham Serrano Ortega told Diálogo the CJNG has mutated. The CJNG is no longer a Mexican cartel; it is a transnational criminal enterprise that, like an octopus, changes color, texture, and shape in an instant, he said. Ortega described a franchise model enabling presence in some 40 countries.

Leadership and Specialized Structure

Following El Mencho's death, leadership allegedly passed to his stepson, Juan Carlos Valencia González, alias El Pelón. Valencia, sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury on July 23 alongside over 50 individuals and companies, is accused of overseeing large-scale drug production and distribution and organizing violence. The August 5 indictments detailed a structure built around specialized functions.

Ortega called this a "narcoterrorist holding company." He stated, The same money generated through fraud and other illicit activities around the world finances the purchase of weapons, drugs such as fentanyl and other narcotics, and the use of force in support of terrorism.

Regional Alliances and Operations

The CJNG expands through local partnerships, providing resources in exchange for access. "They are fluid joint ventures, not hierarchical gang alliances," Ortega explained. Ecuador is a key example. On August 26, Ecuadorian authorities, with DEA and U.S. Southern Command support, executed operations Jericó and Factoría against groups linked to Los Choneros and the CJNG-associated Los Lobos. Arrests included two Mexican nationals linked to the CJNG, with seizures of drugs, weapons, and equipment disrupting clandestine air trafficking.

This operation occurred under the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C), a 19-nation initiative. Its second meeting in August advanced plans for intelligence sharing and targeting cartel financial structures. In Panama, the Bagdad group has been journalistically linked to CJNG logistics for cocaine moving from Ecuador and Colombia. In Chile, prosecutors tied the CJNG to a clandestine meth lab discovered in January 2025 in the O’Higgins region, operated by two Mexicans, with over 844 kilograms of drugs and precursors seized. Links have also been found in Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil.

Criminal Diversification

The network's activities extend beyond narcotics. According to the Environmental Investigation Agency, the CJNG is involved in illegal mercury trafficking from Mexico to gold-mining regions in Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia. This diversification fosters collaboration with other transnational groups. The Venezuelan Tren de Aragua, present in 11 Mexican states, occasionally works with the CJNG and other Mexican cartels.