The group has deployed AI to carry out large-scale financial fraud worldwide.
The death of one of Mexico's most wanted drug lords could trigger a chain reaction worldwide. Recently, Mexican army special forces killed Nemesio Rubén "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, who led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, better known as the CJNG, for many years. His death is already being called an event capable of reshaping the global drug market and triggering a new crime wave.
The US Department of State previously reported that the CJNG operates throughout almost all of Mexico, the Americas, Australia, China, and Southeast Asia. In addition to fentanyl trafficking , the group is involved in extortion, migrant trafficking, oil and mineral theft, and arms trafficking.
The CJNG's roots go back to the Sinaloa Cartel, led by Joaquín Guzmán, nicknamed "El Chapo." In 2007, an armed wing emerged in the state of Jalisco under the command of Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel. After his death in 2010, leadership passed to Oseguera Cervantes. Under his leadership, the cartel quickly increased methamphetamine production and began aggressive expansion, displacing competitors from Michoacán, Jalisco, and Zacatecas.
The focus was not only on weapons but also on technology. After Guzmán's arrest and extradition, the group strengthened its financial and chemical operations, establishing money laundering operations through agriculture, mining, construction, and international trade. Los Cuinis' financial network was managed by Abigail González Valencia, a relative of Oseguera. According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, CJNG is present in at least 40 countries.
In 2024, Interpol warned that criminal networks, including CJNG, were using artificial intelligence systems and language models to conduct large-scale financial fraud. These include cryptocurrency schemes, fake investment platforms, and so-called fraud hubs where people are coerced into participating in defrauding victims worldwide.
A study conducted by El Colegio de México in collaboration with the Civic AI Lab at Northeastern University in Boston found that TikTok has become a recruitment tool. Researchers identified 100 active accounts linked to criminal organizations. Nearly 47% of them directly advertised joining cartels, while another 31% disseminated propaganda. More than half of these accounts were linked specifically to the CJNG.
According to the Mexican Ministry of National Defense, the cartel actively uses drones. While five drone attacks were recorded in 2020, there have been 107 in 2021, 233 in 2022, and 260 in the first half of 2023. The strikes were most often carried out in hard-to-reach and poor areas.
Militants are modifying commercial models like the DJI Mini 3 to equip them with improvised explosive devices containing gunpowder and metal shrapnel. Heavier DJI Agras T40 agricultural drones are capable of carrying liquid explosives or toxic mixtures. Since 2023, police in Michoacán have defused nearly 5,000 explosive devices, including mines and drones , used by various groups to control drug trafficking routes.
According to investigators, the CJNG has a Drone Operators unit responsible for reconnaissance, surveillance, intimidation propaganda, and aerial attacks. This structure makes the cartel less vulnerable to the loss of a single leader. The organization is structured as a network with multiple commanders and autonomous cells, so the death of "El Mencho" does not automatically mean its dissolution.
The death of one of Mexico's most wanted drug lords could trigger a chain reaction worldwide. Recently, Mexican army special forces killed Nemesio Rubén "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, who led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, better known as the CJNG, for many years. His death is already being called an event capable of reshaping the global drug market and triggering a new crime wave.
The US Department of State previously reported that the CJNG operates throughout almost all of Mexico, the Americas, Australia, China, and Southeast Asia. In addition to fentanyl trafficking , the group is involved in extortion, migrant trafficking, oil and mineral theft, and arms trafficking.
The CJNG's roots go back to the Sinaloa Cartel, led by Joaquín Guzmán, nicknamed "El Chapo." In 2007, an armed wing emerged in the state of Jalisco under the command of Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel. After his death in 2010, leadership passed to Oseguera Cervantes. Under his leadership, the cartel quickly increased methamphetamine production and began aggressive expansion, displacing competitors from Michoacán, Jalisco, and Zacatecas.
The focus was not only on weapons but also on technology. After Guzmán's arrest and extradition, the group strengthened its financial and chemical operations, establishing money laundering operations through agriculture, mining, construction, and international trade. Los Cuinis' financial network was managed by Abigail González Valencia, a relative of Oseguera. According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, CJNG is present in at least 40 countries.
In 2024, Interpol warned that criminal networks, including CJNG, were using artificial intelligence systems and language models to conduct large-scale financial fraud. These include cryptocurrency schemes, fake investment platforms, and so-called fraud hubs where people are coerced into participating in defrauding victims worldwide.
A study conducted by El Colegio de México in collaboration with the Civic AI Lab at Northeastern University in Boston found that TikTok has become a recruitment tool. Researchers identified 100 active accounts linked to criminal organizations. Nearly 47% of them directly advertised joining cartels, while another 31% disseminated propaganda. More than half of these accounts were linked specifically to the CJNG.
According to the Mexican Ministry of National Defense, the cartel actively uses drones. While five drone attacks were recorded in 2020, there have been 107 in 2021, 233 in 2022, and 260 in the first half of 2023. The strikes were most often carried out in hard-to-reach and poor areas.
Militants are modifying commercial models like the DJI Mini 3 to equip them with improvised explosive devices containing gunpowder and metal shrapnel. Heavier DJI Agras T40 agricultural drones are capable of carrying liquid explosives or toxic mixtures. Since 2023, police in Michoacán have defused nearly 5,000 explosive devices, including mines and drones , used by various groups to control drug trafficking routes.
According to investigators, the CJNG has a Drone Operators unit responsible for reconnaissance, surveillance, intimidation propaganda, and aerial attacks. This structure makes the cartel less vulnerable to the loss of a single leader. The organization is structured as a network with multiple commanders and autonomous cells, so the death of "El Mencho" does not automatically mean its dissolution.
