“El Mencho” is dead.
This weekend, Mexican Army Special Forces killed Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the head of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico. Following confirmation of El Mencho’s death by federal authorities, experts anticipate a profound reconfiguration of the global drug trafficking landscape, a scenario that could lead to a new and dangerous wave of violence.
The focus will turn to the CJNG’s mechanisms of control, intimidation, financing, and recruitment that granted the cartel unprecedented operational capacity. Much of its strength stemmed from the weakening of long-standing rivals through the sophisticated use of social media and artificial intelligence, state-of-the-art specialized weaponry, and a flexible internal structure.
The US State Department says that CJNG maintains a presence and contacts in “almost all of Mexico,” the American continent, and countries such as Australia, China, and various Southeast Asian nations. The agency underscores the cartel’s criminal versatility: In addition to fentanyl trafficking, it is involved in extortion, migrant smuggling, oil and mineral theft, and illicit arms trade.
How Was the CJNG Born?
The CJNG traces its roots to the Sinaloa Cartel, led by Joaquín Guzmán Loera, also known as “El Chapo.” Around 2007, this group formed an armed wing in Jalisco under the command of Ignacio “Nacho” Coronel Villarreal. This was the Milenio Cartel, also known as Los Valencia. During this period, Guzmán’s operatives were vying for control of Jalisco territories against Los Zetas, a splinter group of the Gulf Cartel.
In its early years, the CJNG presented itself as “Los Mata Zetas” (The Zeta Killers). According to the BBC, its first documented appearance occurred in September 2011, when it claimed responsibility, through a video circulated on social media, for the discovery of 35 bodies in Boca del Río, a municipality in the state of Veracruz.
By then, the alliance with the Sinaloa Cartel had already fractured after a confrontation with federal forces that culminated in 2010 with the death of Ignacio Coronel. Leadership fell to Oseguera Cervantes, who spearheaded a rapid expansion in methamphetamine production and trafficking.
Cartels Embracing Tech
In less than five years, the CJNG displaced the Knights Templar from southern Michoacán and expelled Los Zetas from northern Jalisco and parts of Zacatecas. After Guzmán Loera’s capture and extradition, the group strengthened its strategy by recruiting financial and chemical specialists to boost the manufacture of synthetic drugs and diversify its income through money-laundering schemes in sectors such as livestock, mining, agriculture, and construction, as well as expanding extortion of small- and medium-size businesses.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) notes that the CJNG operates in more than 40 countries and has a financial structure known as Los Cuinis, headed by Abigael González Valencia, Oseguera’s brother-in-law. This network coordinates money-laundering operations through international trade, cryptocurrencies, and links with Asian networks.
Several investigations have documented the use of digital tools for recruitment and fraud. In 2024, Interpol warned that groups like the CJNG were involved in large-scale financial scams supported by AI, natural language models, and cryptocurrencies. It also detected the expansion of human trafficking for forced criminal activity in scam compounds.
A study by El Colegio de México, in collaboration with the Civic AI Lab at Northeastern University in Boston, revealed that TikTok has become a recruitment tool for Mexican cartels, including CJNG. The research identified 100 active accounts linked to illicit organizations and categorized their content as recruitment, border crossings, illegal businesses, prostitution, propaganda, and arms sales. Forty-seven percent of the accounts promoted the recruitment of new members, and 31 percent disseminated propaganda messages. The report highlighted that the CJNG accounted for 54.3 percent of the detected accounts, followed by the Sinaloa Cartel and the Northeast Cartel.
Another report, this one on the use of AI by criminal networks, indicates that these structures employ advanced systems to simulate kidnappings, impersonate others, and optimize traffic routes using predictive algorithms that reduce operational risks.
Drones Attack
On the military front, according to experts, the CJNG’s dominance lies in its sophisticated handling of next-generation weaponry. About five years ago, it began using drones modified with explosives in Michoacán to attack its rivals. Later, it extended its use to Guerrero, where the cartel La Familia Michoacana also operates. These attacks have resulted in dozens of deaths, injuries, and forced displacements.
Figures from the Ministry of National Defense say that in 2020 there were five drone attacks attributed to drug trafficking. Drone attacks soon escalated with 107 recorded in 2021, 233 in 2022, and 260 in the first half of 2023. Most occurred in marginalized or hard-to-reach areas.
Criminals typically use commercial models like the DJI Mini 3 , which costs around $420, modified with galvanized tubes containing gunpowder, pellets, or metal fragments. The CJNG uses DJI Agras T40 agricultural drones, which can cost around $25,000 and are capable of carrying toxic substances or liquid explosives to cause greater damage.
In 2023, researchers found that the CJNG had created a unit specializing in unmanned aircraft known as Drone Operators, made up of experts who use these devices for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, intimidating propaganda, and attacks.
This internal structure and operation have allowed the CJNG to consolidate itself as one of the greatest threats globally. The DEA indicates that the CJNG operates in countries around the world through a network of members, associates, and facilitators distributed across at least 40 nations.
The DEA describes the CJNG as “a terrorist organization, at every level, from its leaders to its distribution networks and everyone in between.” The agency concludes that “every arrest, every seizure, and every dollar confiscated from the CJNG represents lives saved and communities protected.”
Some security experts emphasize that the CJNG operates as a network with multiple commanders, logistical structures, and specialized franchises, so its operational capacity does not disintegrate with the death of its leader.
However, as history dictates, fragmentations may arise. Although this may open up space for the birth of new criminal cells, it also represent an opportunity to dismantle criminal networks, now supported by new technologies.
This story originally appeared in WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.
The post How Mexico’s ‘CJNG’ Drug Cartel Embraced AI, Drones, and Social Media appeared first on Wired.
