Earlier this week, Mexico City Police Chief Omar García Harfuch said there are no drug cartels in the capital. instead, the cartels turned into small groups. However, EL UNIVERSAL published an article regarding the Jalisco New Generation Cartel ( CJNG ), which explains how the cartel plans to conquer the center of the country.
The CJNG has expanded its operations to the center of the country in the last three years. Authorities have registered the presence of the criminal organization in Querétaro, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Puebla, Morelos, and Mexico City. Intelligence reports indicate the cartel has a small presence in the capital and established an alliance with local criminal groups. However, the CJNG has faced resistance from rival cartels in Morelos and the State of Mexico, where it has engaged in turf wars to control specific areas.
Nevertheless, the cartel’s main goal is to control Mexico City and the Metropolitan Area, where its presence has increased in recent years, especially in highly-populated areas in the State of Mexico where unemployment could prompt thousands of young men to join its ranks.
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Local authorities targeted and delivered major blows to “La Unión Tepito ,” the most visible organization in Mexico City; therefore, the CJNG is taking advantage of the situation to expand its operations in the city, although the Sinaloa Cartel and “La Familia Michoacana” are following into its footsteps. The capital is at risk of turning into a battleground for drug cartels.
Previous administrations denied the presence of criminal organizations in Mexico City and said they were small groups. Years later, after a surge in violence and crime, authorities said all victims had ties to criminal organizations, and that these crimes would not affect civilians. Later, when the city registered a series of violent events, authorities insisted that no cartels operated in the capital and that these incidents were turf wars between rival gangs.
Now that the media has revealed the CJNG established a drug distribution network that operates in nine boroughs, what García Harfuch said in previous days has been confirmed: there is not a dominant cartel in Mexico City. However, how long will it take the cartel to establish itself in the city?
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