From Baja California to Chiapas: The CJNG’s Strategic Allies That Enabled Its Expansion in Mexico

The latest annual report from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration detailed how the CJNG managed to establish a presence in each of Mexico’s 32 states

Over the last decade, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) has proliferated throughout Mexico. The criminal organization—founded and led until last February by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes—claimed a spot at the pinnacle of the country’s drug trafficking hierarchy, a position previously attained only by the Sinaloa Cartel.

The operational reach of the group—also known as the “Four-Letter Cartel”—became evident when it emerged as the only criminal group with a presence in every one of the 32 states that make up the Mexican Republic, according to a map included in the latest annual report by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

While the U.S. anti-narcotics agency has attributed this capacity for expansion to the “franchise model” that defines its structure, the Jalisco-based cartel has also opted to forge strategic alliances with other local criminal groups in pursuit of various objectives.

“The franchise model also allows the Jalisco Cartel to expand rapidly, as establishing new franchises is easy. Furthermore, this model maximizes its revenue, since the cartel’s leadership does not cover the operating costs of its franchises but does receive a percentage of the total profits. However, one of the primary weaknesses of the franchise model is that individual groups operating under the Jalisco Cartel’s name may form alliances with other criminal groups—some of which directly oppose the alliances formed by other franchises,” the DEA explained regarding the CJNG’s structure.

Thus, the formation of such alliances—combined with the use of vast financial resources, a propensity for violence, and access to public officials—has enabled *El Mencho’s* organization to maintain and expand its influence over drug trafficking within the country, a characteristic dating back to its origins within the Millennium Cartel.

The CJNG’s First Key Alliances

Years before Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes became one of the country’s most wanted drug traffickers, Armando Valencia Cornelio laid the foundations for a criminal organization that came to be known as the Millennium Cartel.

“El Maradona”—as he was best known—led a criminal group responsible for shipping tons of marijuana and cocaine to the United States; according to reports from the then-Attorney General’s Office (PGR), his connections extended to various South American nations, including Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.

In those years, “El Mencho” served as a gunman for the criminal organization; nevertheless, he paid close attention to his mentor’s every move—particularly the alliances he forged. In the early 2000s, the Millennium Cartel joined “The Federation,” a conglomerate of criminal groups led by the Sinaloa Cartel, whose objective was clear: to smuggle tons of narcotics into the United States by controlling the coveted Pacific route.

Through this agreement, Armando Valencia Cornelio became one of the closest associates of Ignacio “Nacho” Coronel—a Sinaloan kingpin dispatched to bring into line the local criminal groups operating in Colima, Jalisco, and Michoacán.

Also prominent within this alliance was the Amezcua criminal organization—a group of brothers best known as the “Methamphetamine Kings.” According to press reports, years earlier, “El Maradona” had joined forces with the so-called Colima Cartel with the aim of sharing control of the Port of Manzanillo—a key entry point for both cocaine shipments arriving from South America and the chemical precursors needed to manufacture synthetic drugs arriving from Asia.

Following the dissolution of The Federation and the fragmentation of the Millennium Cartel, “El Mencho” took charge of ensuring that the nascent Jalisco New Generation Cartel retained the structural assets necessary for its lucrative enterprise—including control of that vital seaport—thereby enabling it to subsequently launch its campaign of expansion across the length and breadth of the country. From Baja California to Tamaulipas

For decades, the states sharing a border with the United States have been disputed territory for criminal organizations seeking to control the primary corridors for the trafficking of drugs, weapons, and migrants.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) recognized that, in order to maximize the flow of its narcotics shipments, it needed to find a way to utilize these border corridors. In Baja California, the solution to this need lay with an old criminal organization—one whose power had gradually eroded despite being considered one of the country’s most prominent groups throughout the 1980s and 1990s: the Tijuana Cartel.

Following the downfall of the Arellano Félix brothers, Enedina—the only member of the family clan remaining at the helm of the criminal organization—withstood the siege of rival cells from the Sinaloa Cartel that sought to establish a foothold in the border state. Against this backdrop, the arrival of the “Cartel of the Four Letters” in Baja California proved to be an advantage for her criminal group.

Around 2020, banners appeared in various key territories displaying messages—addressed to rivals or public officials—signed by a group styling itself as the “Tijuana New Generation Cartel.” Federal security sources consulted by journalist Óscar Balderas for *MILENIO* indicate that the alliance between the two groups allowed the Arellano Félix Cartel to survive, in exchange for allowing “El Mencho’s” cartel to operate the border corridors in Tijuana.

Although the shifting dynamics of organized crime—along with a series of betrayals—would eventually fracture this alliance, on the other side of the border, the CJNG had already succeeded in carving out a foothold within territory controlled by the Gulf Cartel. In its latest report, the U.S. anti-narcotics agency noted that the Jalisco cartel had managed to gain a foothold in Tamaulipas thanks to César Morfín Morfín—alias “El Primito”—who, before becoming an associate of “El Mencho,” served in the leadership of Los Metros, a splinter group that emerged from the fragmentation of the Gulf Cartel and entrenched itself in Reynosa.

While the “Four-Letter Cartel” leverages the use of border corridors in the country’s northeast, for “El Primito,” the advantage of this alliance lies in his fuel theft and trafficking operations—one of the CJNG’s most lucrative activities.

In addition to *huachicol* (fuel theft), the Four-Letter Cartel also provides protection to Los Metros against rival organizations within the state—such as the Northeast Cartel, Los Escorpiones, or Los Mayos of the Sinaloa Cartel.

“The alliance helps facilitate the uninterrupted flow of drugs from the CJNG and Los Metros into the United States. In exchange, the CJNG gains access to points of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as to the Port of Altamira, which is used to import chemical precursors,” detailed the DEA’s 2025 annual report.

The *Fuerzas Especiales Unión* (Special Forces Union)

Widely regarded as the two most powerful and dangerous criminal forces in the country, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) became fierce rivals in certain regions. From the kidnapping of “Los Chapitos” in Puerto Vallarta to the clashes involving the “Flechas MZ” in Zacatecas, these events were all part of their prolonged feud; however, the dynamic of this rivalry took a complete 180-degree turn on July 25, 2024.

Like a domino effect, the betrayal by Joaquín Guzmán López—which led to the capture of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada by U.S. authorities—ignited a bloody conflict between the two most powerful factions within the Sinaloa Cartel. Although external criminal actors remained neutral during the initial months of the conflict, warning signs gradually began to emerge.

It was only a matter of time before journalistic reports confirmed the unthinkable: an alliance between Los Chapitos and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Information obtained by journalists Luis Chaparro and Óscar Balderas corroborates that the objective of this union was to bolster the fight against “La Mayiza.” The combined entity of the two groups dubbed itself the *Fuerzas Especiales Unión* (FEU)—Special Forces Union.

In exchange for gaining control over territories previously under the influence of the Zambada faction, the “Four-Letter Cartel” (CJNG) agreed to provide weaponry and combat training to Los Chapitos’ gunmen. Furthermore, “El Mencho’s” top lieutenant—identified as Audias Flores Silva, alias “El Jardinero” (The Gardener)—was also tasked with overseeing the security of the Guzmán Salazar brothers.

The details of this arrangement, compiled by Óscar Balderas in a report for *MILENIO*, further recount that the alliance was brokered during a meeting held between representatives of both criminal groups in Huajicori, Nayarit. Days before the publication of said journalistic report, the DEA warned in its assessment:

“The CJNG could capitalize on the conflict between the Los Mayos and Los Chapitos factions of the Sinaloa Cartel—essentially taking the side of its former rivals. Los Chapitos has the potential to expand the territories, resources, military might, and access to corrupt officials available to these groups, which could result in a significant alteration of the existing criminal balance of power in Mexico and could contribute to an increased flow of drugs northward and arms southward across the U.S.-Mexico border.”

In an interview with MILENIO, security analyst David Saucedo noted that the alliance—which styles itself on social media as CJNG-IAG or FEU—might be strictly regional; a detail that has since become apparent in recent months, as its operations have been documented solely within Sinaloa and Baja California.

The Central Region of the Country

To consolidate its presence in the central region of the country, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) opted to join forces with local criminal groups in Mexico City, as well as with another organization that has gained influence in the State of Mexico and Guerrero:

La Nueva Familia Michoacana.

In the Mexican capital, journalistic reports in 2018 documented the emergence of an organization styling itself the “Tepito New Generation Cartel.” Its architect—identified by the alias “El Güero Carmenta”—sought to seize control of the criminal economies then dominated by La Unión Tepito.

The rise of other leaders within this group—also known as the “Chilango Cartel”—thwarted that criminal leader’s objective; nevertheless, the CJNG’s intent to establish a foothold in Mexico City persisted. In this regard, information from federal sources obtained by Rubén Mosso for *MILENIO* indicated that the “Cartel of the Four Letters” provided the “Anti-Unión” faction with logistical support, financial resources, weapons, drugs, vehicles, hitmen, and training, with the aim of seizing control from rival groups and expanding its influence into other municipalities within the State of Mexico.

Regarding La Nueva Familia Michoacana, reports have surfaced detailing its alliance with the CJNG, forged to achieve a variety of objectives. These agreements between the two criminal organizations range from supplying explosive drones to facilitate the displacement of communities in Guerrero—a region of strategic importance to both groups—to sharing drug trafficking routes in Tamaulipas and vying for control of the Port of Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán.

It is noteworthy that, despite engaging in open conflict with one another in other territories, the dynamic nature of the CJNG’s various “franchises” has made such agreements between these two criminal groups possible.

The Dispute in Chiapas

For years, the border between Chiapas and Guatemala has been a contested zone for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel. Much like in the northern part of the country, their disputes have triggered waves of violence and the displacement of entire communities.

Despite this, both criminal organizations identified a local Guatemalan criminal group as an opportunity to secure the transport of drugs from Central America to the Mexican border. This group is known as Los Huistas, and they have been active in the region since at least 1990.

“Los Huistas dominate the Guatemalan department of Huehuetenango, which borders Chiapas, Mexico. This area serves as a key corridor for drug trafficking and a vital route for trade, human transit, and international migration […] They are responsible for moving cocaine and other substances from Guatemala into Mexico, thereby facilitating the operations of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel,” details a profile of the criminal group published by InSight Crime.

The alliances forged by the “Four-Letter Cartel” have proven pivotal—not only domestically but also beyond Mexico’s borders. However, this very dynamism has also made betrayal a constant feature; while sparking internal conflicts, these betrayals ultimately serve to reshape the country’s criminal landscape.

Source: Milenio