The Jalisco Cartel New Generation, one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations, was dealt a heavy blow on February 22 when Mexican forces killed its top leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho.”
El Mencho had been on the run for years, wanted in both the United States and Mexico. His death leaves the Jalisco Cartel New Generation (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación – CJNG) without its top leader for the first time since the group was formed in 2010.
SEE ALSO: What’s Next for Mexico’s CJNG After the Killing of ‘El Mencho’?
Within hours of El Mencho’s death, the CJNG took to the streets. The group set up hundreds of blockades on major highways across 20 states, attacked security forces, and shut down entire sections of major cities in several states, including Guadalajara, Jalisco.
The CJNG’s immediate and devastating response to El Mencho’s death shows the group’s far-reaching power. Since its inception, the CJNG has cultivated a reputation for extreme violence and rapid expansion, with a presence in nearly every state of Mexico and ties to drug trafficking networks across the globe.
SEE ALSO: CJNG Violence After the Killing of ‘El Mencho’: Power Play or Last Gasp?
The CJNG has several powerful commanders operating in certain key states that may seek to seize power. InSight Crime outlines five CJNG hotspots to keep an eye on in Mexico.
Jalisco: The CJNG Power Base
Jalisco is the historic base and epicenter of the CJNG’s operations, and where the group is involved in a range of criminal economies, from drug trafficking to local extortion rackets. Its deep political, social, and economic ties have allowed it to maintain near-total control of the underworld, managing nearly all criminal activity.
Michoacán: El Mencho’s Birthplace
El Mencho was born in the Tierra Caliente region of Michoacán, where he got his start in drug trafficking in the 1990s. The CJNG has tried to establish increased control in this region due to its access to Pacific ports and synthetic drug production zones, which have also made it a hotly contested frontier. Through a patchwork of constantly shifting alliances, the CJNG has engaged in regular clashes with Mexican security forces and local armed groups.
Guanajuato: The Fuel Theft Battleground
A key state for fuel theft operations that the CJNG has long contested with the local Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (Cartel Santa Rosa de Lima – CSRL). The CJNG has maintained certain strategic alliances with small local cells in an attempt to displace the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, but has so far failed to overpower the group.
Sinaloa: The Uncertain Alliance
In 2025, the CJNG allegedly brokered an unexpected alliance with the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel to help combat their rivals the Mayiza amid their ongoing war. The arrangement was coordinated by high-ranking CJNG members close to El Mencho, but the Mayiza may gain the upper hand here following El Mencho’s killing.
Baja California: Battle for the Border
The CJNG has established a permanent presence in this US-Mexico border state by aligning with dissident factions of the Tijuana Cartel to access key smuggling corridors. The group has attempted to push out cells of the Sinaloa Cartel and has directly attacked local security forces. It remains to be seen if a recently established alliance with the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel will fall apart, or help the CJNG maintain control of this coveted region.