Sinaloa Cartel vs. CJNG: keys to understanding the wave of violence in Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta, a tourist jewel in the hands of the narco (Photo: Jovani Pérez Silva) 

The war has reached paradise. Vallarta Port (Jalisco), one of the most important tourist destinations in Mexico, world famous for hosting luxury beaches and bars, would be the next piece on the board of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The criminal organization commanded by Ismael Zambada García, the “Mayo” has arrived at what is considered to be the home of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

According to intelligence information, more than 75 percent of the routes, areas of production and sale of narcotics would be in dispute between these two cartels. One of them Jalisco.

The map of the areas of influence of criminal groups, drawn by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) reveals that In Jalisco (west of Mexico) the Sinaloa Cartel dominates 50 municipalities including the resort of Puerto Vallarta, where a little less than a month ago the former governor of the entity was assassinated, Aristotle Sandoval.

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. (Photo: ESPECIAL / CUARTOSCURO) 

He Mexico Crime and Safety Report: 2020 Guadalajara produced by Overseas Security Advisory Council warns that the war between the Sinaloa Cartel and the CJNG is finally knocking on Jalisco’s door because it is an optimal region for the transit of drugs and opioids, whose destination is the United States. In addition, the state of Guadalajara, Nayarit and Colima, all located on the Pacific coast, are the main areas for growing marijuana and poppies.

The Pacific ports are important routes for drug trafficking to the United States (Map: Infobae México / Jovany Pérez Silva) 

According to this study, the violence generated in Jalisco is, to a large extent, related to the dispute between rival cartels.

Two decades ago, Puerto Vallarta reigned pax narca agreed between drug leaders, who made the site a sanctuary for their investments and so that their families could live away from the environment of violence.

However, that peace was broken in 2008, when the criminal group of the Beltran Leyva started a bloody dispute against the Sinaloa Cartel, for the Pacific squares. At that time, the criminal organization was led by Joaquín el “Chapo” Guzmán, and operated in Jalisco with his armed wing: the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel.

On December 18, the tourist center of Puerto Vallarta became the playground of the CJNG (Photo: ESPECIAL / CUARTOSCURO) 

The fall of the square chief of the area, Ignacio “Nacho” Colonel it left a void that was occupied by the CJNG, which broke away from Sinaloa and took control of the state of Guadalajara. Thus was born the criminal group headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the “Mencho”.

In Jalisco, the criminal structure of the CJNG is horizontal, that is, there are small groups with plaza bosses who are given autonomy, thus forming a kind of hydra with a multitude of cells.

Two decades ago, in Puerto Vallarta there was a pax narca agreed between drug leaders, who made the site a sanctuary for their investments and so that their families could live away from the environment of violence (Photo: EFE / File) 

The call Delta Group it has been used by the CJNG to deploy high-impact actions in Puerto Vallarta.

The first time an authority recognized the existence of the Delta Group occurred on September 29, 2018, when the then head of the Jalisco Attorney General, Marisela Gomez Cobos, announced that four of its members had been captured in an operation that required the deployment of about 80 agents from the institution.

After that operation and for more than 20 months, this criminal cell continued to deploy its violence in the Jalisco metropolitan area without any known blows against its leadership, until the arrest of the “Delta 1”, senior boss, on June 21, 2020.

During the apprehension of “Delta 1”, in the colony Country Gardens, from Guadalajara, seized two long rifle-type weapons, a short weapon, two chargers, 16 cartridges, seven cell phones, cash, two vehicles, various electronic objects, as well as cocaine hydrochloride.

He Delta Group has been linked to high-powered crimes such as the attack by the former Jalisco prosecutor, Luis Carlos Nájera Gutiérrez by Velasco and the murder of the Guanajuato businessman, Felipe Tome, who was murdered three weeks ago in Vallarta Port.

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