It also operated a tequila label,casinos,two shopping centers,a medical clinic,real estate companies and a Pacific Ocean resort frequented by Americans, according to U.S. Treasury Department records. In subsequent years, Jalisco New Generation exploded across the country, recruiting local gangs and small-scale organizations along the way, uniting a range of criminals under a single banner. Cartel members fired hundreds of rounds and hurled grenades and jugs of gasoline. Mexico arrests Jalisco New Generation drug lord El Menchito [72], In March 2017, El Mencho ordered the murder of El Cholo, a former CJNG member who betrayed the CJNG by joining the Nueva Plaza Cartel and conspiring against his former allies. [73] El Cholo was marked for death by El Mencho after he murdered a CJNG financial operator nicknamed "El Colombiano", but the assassination attempt was a failure. Son of powerful Mexican drug lord extradited to U.S. Smaller police forces. [88] He had served as the CJNG's lead financier. Lpez Obrador said the decision averted unnecessary bloodshed, but it was widely seen as a sign of governmental weakness. During that time,overdoses sent more victims to Kentucky's morgues than bullets and car crashes combined withthe commonwealth sufferingthe fifth-highest overdose death rate in the nation. . Female cartel boss known as 'Dame of Death' killed in shootout with Mexican state forces Just 21, 'La Catrina' was a suspected boss in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel led by Nemesio. But he kept getting caught. To help Maciassmuggle drugs into the U.S., cartel leaders used a Toyota Camry with a secret compartment on the armrest that opened through a sequence of steps: Turnon the heater. The cartel's expansion into smaller, unexpected communities began to mushroom about five years ago as U.S. intelligence analysts tracked its movements far beyond border towns and major hubs. By 2014, cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, was indicted by a district court in Washington, D.C., on charges of running a continuous criminal enterprise, and for the alleged manufacture, importation and distribution of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine. He is among the DEAs most wanted fugitives; the U.S. government has offered a $10million reward for information leading to his capture. Macias' associate, Imanol Pineda Penaloza, headed a cell in Louisville while running his drug business through his used tire shop, Los 3 Hermanos. But thats the kind of dynamic weve seen in other cities in Mexico.. The individuals sanctioned were El Mencho's brother Antonio; his son-in-law Julio Alberto Castillo Rodrguez; five of Gonzlez Valencia's siblings: Arnulfo, dgar Edn, Elvis, Marisa Ivette, and Noem; businessman Fabin Felipe Vera Lpez; and attorney Mara Teresa Quintana Navarro. [88] He was later released in December 2016. In June 2015, the Mexican military arrested El Menchos son and second-in-command, Rubn Oseguera Gonzles. 2023www.courier-journal.com. The DEA last year carried out a roundup of Jalisco cartel operatives and traffickers in the United States, making more than 600 arrests. DEA-led operation nets more than 600 arrests targeting Cartel Jalisco Treasury Department officials stood with Sessions and announced more sanctions on businesses linked to CJNG and its affiliate, Los Cuinis. Reporters Jonathan Bullington, Kala Kachmar, Chris Kenning andKarol Suarez contributed to this story. The cartel circulates these images of torture and execution on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to spread fear and intimidation. The trail of viole We're guests in their country.. [27] This success was shared with Abigael Gonzlez Valencia, his brother-in-law, who headed a drug trafficking group known as Los Cuinis, allied to the CJNG. His notoriety is also a result of his aggressive leadership and sensationalist acts of violence against both rival criminal groups and Mexican security forces alike. [23][25], He consolidated his operations in Jalisco and its adjacent states by fighting off incursions from criminal groups like Los Zetas and the Knights Templar Cartel. Adam died midsentence while writing a thank-you note to a friend on the eve of entering a rehab facility. In September 1992, he was arrested again, this time on federal drug charges in Sacramento, California. [63] This announcement was made public when the DEA and Mexican authorities prepared to reveal a new cooperation plan against organized crime, which included a stronger focus against their financial structure and the creation of a law enforcement group responsible for investigating international cases. It is known for its aggressive use of violence and its public relations campaigns. Cartel expert tells tourists, 'Don't go' to Mexico right now Entire familieswho resisthave been slaughtered, Donahue said. Arrests in Los Angeles in Crackdown on Jalisco Drug Cartel "But its a little different when you go to Boise, Idaho, and other small towns where they dont have the resources to really focus on an international cartel.". In Jalisco, El Mencho and the Milenio Cartel formed an alliance with the Sinaloa Cartel subgroup headed by Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel, a high-ranking drug lord and ally of Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn. Local officials noticed the shift as if it had happened overnight: Troubled boys were suddenly driving expensive pickups and wielding military-grade weapons. Selling drugs in bulk to local traffickers, who then sold to area dealers. This morning we were cowardly attacked by the CJNG, he wrote. Five were arrested, and one alleged gang member died in. Watch New Generation Cartel Boss 'El Mencho' Urge Narcos to - Vice The answer, The Courier Journal found, kept pointing to CJNG. [14], After three years he was released from prison on parole and deported to Mexico at the age of 30. A month later, Mexican authorities learned of ElMenchos new hiding spot andorganizeda secret mission to capture him. [96] At the time of this arrest, El Mencho's wife was found to be financial chief of the CJNG.[97]. I've implanted you a fee which you must pay. [65], On 16 October 2018, the Departments of State, Justice, and Treasury announced a joint law-enforcement measure against the CJNG, and increased El Mencho's bounty to US$10million from US$5million. This article was published more than2 years ago. "If he was, I didnt charge him enough.". Mexico Citys top security official injured in apparent assassination attempt. After some time he left the police and joined organized crime as a full-time member of the Milenio Cartel. Initially, the CJNG produced methamphetamine, but then he moved to heroin production when the consumer demand changed. "A very big, increasing problem. In cases in which immigrants resist the cartel's offer, CJNG members often threatened violence to them or their loved ones back in Mexico, according to court cases and law enforcement officials. Robertois awaiting sentencing in Paducah in August for trafficking meth while armed with a gun. As part of the sanction, all the U.S.-based assets and/or assets in control of U.S. individuals on behalf of El Mencho, Gonzlez Valencia, the CJNG, and Los Cuinis, were frozen in the United States. Mexico's most wanted: Wife of cartel boss 'El Mencho' held (Video: Reuters). The body of local social media star Juan Luis Rosales, a.k.a - reddit Twomasterminds now in prisonorchestrated the scheme from Guadalajara:Carlos Parra Pedroza,aliasWalt Disney, who owned a jewelry store; and Diego Pineda Sanchez, an accountant. Americans who may not know of CJNG today should take note, Dodds said. El Menchos powerful international syndicate is flooding the U.S. with thousands of kilos of methamphetamines, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl every year despite being targeted repeatedly by undercover stings, busts and lengthy investigations. According to government sources, Acevedo Crdenas directed CJNG cells in Zacoalco, Tlajomulco, Cocula, Tapalpa and Atemajac de Brizuela, Jalisco. Paying semitruck drivers to haul hidden caches of drugs into the U.S. and return cash to Mexico. [59] El Mencho and Abigael were accused of coordinating shipments of cocaine and methamphetamine from South America via Mexico to the United States. A nine-month Courier Journal investigation reveals how CJNG's reach hasspread across the U.S. in the past five years, overwhelming cities and small towns with massive amounts of drugs. When authorities arrested him, they found twoassault rifles, one inscribed with "Menchito" little Mencho and anotherengraved with"CJNG 02 JR.". [44], A month later on 1 May 2015, the Mexican government launched Operation Jalisco, a military-led campaign that intended to combat organized crime groups in Jalisco and capture their respective leaders. At least three women and six children, all apparently U.S. citizens, were slaughtered by drug cartel gunmen in northern Mexico. [84][85], In addition, Mexican authorities suspected in 2016 that Omar Eleazar Oseguera Cervantes was part of the CJNG leadership structure. [9] Some sources state that his birth-given name was Rubn but that he changed it to Nemesio in memory of his godfather. For 53-year-old El Mencho, success did not come early. The Guatemalan rainforest: Lush jungle, Mayan ruins and narco jets full of cocaine. The unparalleled speed of CJNGs growth coasttocoast in less than a decade has made the cartel a clear, present and growing danger, says Uttam Dhillon, DEA's acting administrator. Ruben Oseguera Gonzalez, known as El Menchito, is believed to be the second-in-command . Alarmed by CJNG's surging violence in Mexico andcontinued expansion across this country, U.S. officials have pushed back. In the sinister messages, the mobsters announce that the state is against the Operativa Blica - the Jalisco New Generation Cartel 's armed militia . [28], El Mencho was able to make the CJNG one of Mexico's most profitable criminal gangs. Omar Garca Harfuch was shot three times in the June 26 attack but survived. Caller name: PABLO OSEGUERA. In court, El Mencho insisted that he was innocent. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel has killed judges, congressmen, dozens of police officers and thousands of civilians. Someone aware of the Lexington-Louisville operation talked to a DEA agent in 2016, who, in turn, flagged investigators in Kentucky. Brutal Gang Rises as Mexico's Top Security Threat - WSJ It is now the primary drug trafficking organization in 24 of Mexicos 32 states, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. They believe he does not stay in one place for long, and travels across several municipalities in Jalisco and into the states of Michoacn, Colima, and Nayarit. For example, a Lexington waitress seekingcash to pay fordental assistant courses ended up making bank deposits that she didnt know were for CJNG, according to court transcripts. With a $10 million reward on his head, hes on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations Most Wanted list. According to prosecutors, Alderete is a lieutenant of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," the shadowy and brutal cartel leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel who's a . But someCJNGbossesdidnt follow those rules. Post navigation. "What are they doing way out in the middle of nowhere?" [67], On 8 April 2015, the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned El Mencho under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act ("Kingpin Act") for his involvement in international drug-smuggling operations. Rommel Pascua Cipriano. . Then the group sent three dozen men armed with military-grade weapons into one of the countrys most exclusive neighborhoods, authorities say, to kill the capitals top security official. La Resistencia accused Los Mata Zetas of turning in scar Orlando to the authorities. In a Chicago money-laundering case, a Guadalajara businessman working with CJNG urged an informant to settle his drug debt quickly, describing how cartel members settled another mans debt: "They chopped off his fingers.". "[101] La Vaca was also reported to have defected from the CJNG because of El Mencho's death.[101]. In the 1990s, Abraham was given a 10-year prison sentence in California. he asked his team. 1 killer. El Mencho was left with few options; if he pleaded not guilty, his brother Abrahamwho already had felony drug sentences in his recordwould probably face life in prison. "I was surprised that CJNGs efforts and tentacles were reaching into Kentucky, that they had expanded their reach that rapidly, said Evans, who previously headed the Louisville Field Division. They just had this rapid ascension because of their non-value of human life, no matter who you are, said Matthew Donahue, the DEAs deputy chief of operations. The investigation documented CJNG operations in at least 35 states and Puerto Rico, a sticky web that has snared struggling business owners, thousands of drug users and Mexican immigrants terrified to challenge cartel orders. By 2014, cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, was indicted by a district court in Washington, D.C., on charges of running a "continuous criminal enterprise," and for. Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes - Wikipedia We have all had a drug consumption problem," said the official, who asked not to be identified for his protection. He quickly amassed a privatearmy, with CJNG members recruitingor kidnappinghundreds of men in their 20s and boys as young as 12. Other bosses used threats of violence in the U.S., despite El Mencho's warnings against it. [37] On 23 March, Heriberto Acevedo Crdenas (alias "El Gringo" and "El Gero"), one of El Mencho's close associates, was killed in a shootout with the Federal Police in Zacoalco de Torres, Jalisco. Mexico's Jalisco New Generation cartel threatens Milenio Television's The attack was a response by the CJNG to protect El Mencho, who was reportedly in the area for a meeting. Female cartel boss known as 'Dame of Death' killed in shootout with [36], On 19 March 2015, in Ocotln, Jalisco, CJNG gunmen ambushed a Federal Police convoy. CJNG's Kentucky strategy has been repeated in town after town across America, in places better known for cheese, cows and corn. CJNG remains the domineering force in its namesake state of Jalisco - where the former governor was gunned down on Friday, in what many believe to have been the work of the cartel - and its . In June 2020, cartel gunmen carried out a brazen attack in Mexico City that left the police chief seriously . Omar Garca Harfuch, Mexico Citys secretary of public security, was shot and injured in an assassination attempt on June 26. [10][11] To conceal his identity in the U.S., he used different names and combinations, like "Rubn vila", "Jos Lpez Prieto", "Miguel Valadez", "Carlos Hernndez Mendoza", "Roberto Salgado", among others. US, Mexico Sanctions Offer Insights Into CJNG Hierarchy El Mencho was 26 years old at that time, much younger than Abraham, but was savvy enough to recognize that the transaction was a set-up by the police. . Oseguera, a former policeman, has masterminded the CJNG's emergence as a criminal empire spanning five continents and a rival to the Sinaloa Cartel of captured kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo'. In mid-October, 13 Mexican police officers were killed in an ambush in El Mencho's home state of Michoacn in western Mexico. [3] The claim of his death was soon afterwards backed by narcomantas messages which appeared around the city of Colima and which were written by the Mezcales (also known as Cartel Independiente de Colima), presumably headed by El Mencho loyalist Jos Bernab Brizuela Meraz, alias La Vaca. No one was killed in the fire exchange. "My family knows Im not that person. Mexicos Jalisco New Generation Cartel blazes a bloody trail in rise to power. Maciasand Sosa were convicted of meth trafficking and money laundering and are serving 31 and 15 years, respectively, in federal prison. Following their downfalls, the Milenio Cartel began to rupture and El Mencho tried to take over its leadership structure. Because it's here, A short film: What Courier Journal uncovered about Jalisco New Generation Cartel's El Mencho. The violence of 2015 was a wake-upcall,saidTerryCole, a former New York City police officer who oversees DEA agents in Guadalajaraas the assistant regional director forNorth and Central America. [94] She pleaded guilty on March 12, 2021, and on June 11 was sentenced to 2.mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}12 years in prison. [101], In February 2022, there were unconfirmed reports stating that El Mencho had died from respiratory arrest while undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Guadalajara. [99][100] In 2022, Insight Crime reported that El Mencho had in fact not been seen for years amid concerns about his poor health. [21], The Milenio Cartel split into two. ", "Top Mexican drug kingpin El Mencho reportedly builds own private hospital", "Betrayals, In-Fighting, Mysteriously Vanished Leader - Is Jalisco Cartel on the Brink? CJNG is "among us. But from the hospital, Garca Harfuch posted a tweet. Who was to blame? From the shadows, he continues to lead CJNG with ruthless authority. As before, all of the U.S.-based assets of these businesses were frozen, and U.S. citizens were prohibited from doing business with them. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel has become Mexico's most powerful criminal organization, dominating the trade in fentanyl and methamphetamines and protecting its business by attacking Mexican . Just hours after the crash, the cartel carried out coordinated attacks in 39 cities, blowingup banks, gas stations and setting cars and semis on fire on major highways to slow down police reinforcements. jalisco new generation cartel text messages - klasteragrojug.rs 14. . Prosecutors say Parra Pedroza and Pineda Sanchezwould keepa percentage, with the rest going tocartel members in Mexico. El Mencho then asked the other Milenio bloc to hand over Gerardo Mendoza (alias "Tecato" and/or "Cochi") for killing a group of men that reported to him in Tecomn, Colima. Businesses in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Los Angeles would buy the goldand then send the payments through wire transfers to Mexico including to Parra Pedroza's precious metals business. CJNG also has enlisted white-collar expertise. his anguished parents asked. On 1 January 2023, a gang stormed a prison in Ciudad Jurez, Chihuahua, Mexico, resulting in the deaths of 19 people. The downfall of Rosalinda Gonzlez, leading figure of a powerful He was not a millionaire," Beaumont said. In December 2022, El Mencho's brother Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Tony Montana," was arrested during an army raid in Guadalajara. The bizarre request of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel came as the government gave its version of a violent massacre caught on a video that went viral. Agents say Macias didn'tinvolveCalumet in his drug crimes. among them Rubn Oseguera Gonzlez, known as "Menchito" (Little Mencho), who was . Dozens of couriers throughout the U.S. would then collect the drug profits and use the dirty moneyto buy scrap and fine gold. "Once the cartel brings a huge load across (the border) and throws it out there for everyone to sell, its out of their hands. In the video, six armed men surround a masked man who claims to be cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as "El Mencho." "As a leader of Jalisco New Generation Cartel, I'm . With a $10 million reward on his head, he's on the U.S. Drug Enforcement. His second security circle is much larger in size and serves as a rearguard to notify El Mencho's inner circle of suspicious activity and ambush potential parties that attempt to get close to him. After agents toppled the drug ring, the cartel turned on the gang. The drug cartel fought back against the Mexican army in the states of Jalisco and Guanajuato, blocking roads and setting fires to cars. In2015, ElMenchoflexed that power to strike back at law enforcement who tried to stop him. Those who refuse bribesare threatened or killed. [19] On 6 May 2010 his brother Juan Carlos (alias "El Tigre") was arrested too. Members of a cartel cell inKansasCity, withdrug houses in both Kansas and Missouri between 2013 and 2016,splurged on $10,000ticketsto rapper Pitbulls concertand a Louis Vuittonpurse. They stormed a hideout west of Guadalajara, but the cartel leader climbed into a vehicle and was rushed to safety. But in stark contrast to the flamboyant Pablo Escobar and El Chapo who carefully cultivated Robin Hood personas to offset their violent reputations, very little is known of El Mencho. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is thought to be responsible for a video which began circulating on social media last week, showing a number of masked men standing in front of the camera while holding guns. In Mexico, a DEA investigator said he was stunned when he learned CJNG cells were popping up in communities as small as Axton. Oseguera Gonzalez pleaded guilty Friday to five counts of engaging in transactions with entities designated as having supported her father's criminal organization. He told his brother that the men to whom they gave the heroin handed over perfectly stacked dollar bills instead of loose ones. Mexico's military arrests wife of powerful drug lord "El Mencho" The CJNG set 39 buses, 11 banks, and 16 gas stations on fire. To build their lucrativedrug networks in the U.S., CJNG bosses mandated discretion to dodge police attention. That attack appears to have been carried out by the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel against the Jalisco cartel. Caller type: Scammer/Fraudster "my name is PABLO OSEGUERA member carte Jalisco New Generation and pimp of the domestic sexual service house I've been calling you cause you've been speaking to one of my girls which offered you her service and you only made her lose her time. The cartels, including CJNG, are feeling empowered because of the rampantviolence in Mexico, said Paul Craine, a retired DEA supervisor who oversaw the U.S. hunt for El Chapo. [20] Two months later, Coronel was killed in a shootout with the Mexican Army.