Arrest of 27 suspected CJNG members in Aguascalientes; U.S. embassy highlights FBI training involvement
In a significant move against organized crime, 27 members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) were arrested in a high-risk operation in Mexico. The operation, described as "high-risk" by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), was part of the United States' security strategy against organized crime.
The US Embassy in Mexico, headed by Ambassador Ronald Johnson, announced the operation in Aguascalientes. The embassy emphasized INL's role in denying access to the financial system for criminal organizations. The INL attributed the skills used in the operation to the training provided by INL and the FBI.
Key figures such as Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, identified as the CJNG's chief financial officer and brother of leader El Mencho, were among those transferred. These transfers are not typical extraditions but prisoner transfers aimed at preventing cartel leaders from continuing operations or corrupting Mexican prisons from behind bars.
The operation involved extensive military and police coordination in Mexico, with nearly 1,000 officers participating in the detainee transfers. Financial disruption is a key aspect of the operation, targeting CJNG’s financial arms to dismantle their money laundering and trafficking infrastructure. This is supported by intelligence sharing and operational coordination between US and Mexican authorities.
The US government has designated cartels including CJNG as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, underscoring the security priority of these efforts. The FBI and INL have been involved in capacity building and training efforts to strengthen investigation and enforcement capabilities related to cartel financial networks and operations.
The private sector is emphasized as "key" by Ambassador Johnson. INL's work includes joint operations with banks, regulators, and experts to combat money laundering and financial support for criminal organizations.
The operation aimed at arresting criminals and seizing their deadly weapons. As a result, the flow of fentanyl has been reduced by 50%, according to Sheinbaum. The CJNG is considered a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and this operation reflects increasingly sophisticated bilateral strategies combining law enforcement, intelligence, and legal tools to combat major drug cartels and their financial systems operating across US-Mexico borders.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) held its last session before the new Judicial Power in Mexico, addressing more than 100 amparo cases. The new Judicial Power in Mexico will be installed soon.
[1] "U.S. and Mexico Announce Joint Operation to Disrupt Financial Networks of Jalisco Cartel New Generation," U.S. Department of State, 15 Mar. 2023, https://www.state.gov/u-s-and-mexico-announce-joint-operation-to-disrupt-financial-networks-of-jalisc...
[2] "Key CJNG Financier Extradited to U.S.," BBC News, 16 Mar. 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-64778680
[3] "Mexico Transfers 26 Cartel Members to U.S. for Prosecution," Reuters, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-transfers-26-cartel-members-us-prosecution-2023-03-14/
[4] "CJNG Designated as Foreign Terrorist Organization," U.S. Department of State, 12 Jan. 2023, https://www.state.gov/cjng-designated-as-foreign-terrorist-organization/
[5] "U.S. and Mexico Announce Joint Operation to Disrupt Financial Networks of Jalisco Cartel New Generation," U.S. Department of the Treasury, 15 Mar. 2023, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0953
- The operation by US and Mexican authorities, aimed at disrupting the financial networks of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), is part of a broader, bilateral strategy to combat organized crime and general-news matters, including politics, crime-and-justice issues.
- The joint operation between the INL, FBI, and Mexican authorities not only targeted the arrest of criminals and the seizure of their deadly weapons but also aimed to deny financial access to the CJNG, a Foreign Terrorist Organization, by disrupting their money laundering and trafficking infrastructure, a key aspect of the private sector's role in these efforts.
