15 Cartels Fight Over Plazas Generating Wave Of Violence

Translated by Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: Milenio

 July 29, 2018
By: Ignacio Alzaga

Alliances, ruptures and the consolidation of criminal organizations make up the most recent map of drug trafficking in Mexico, where 15 groups define themselves as cartels and have generated a wave of violence over the control of places, the distribution of drugs and various criminal activities, especially the practice of illegal fuel takes known as "Huachicoleo". 

Guanajuato has become the epicenter of a war between the Cartel of Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, particularly for the theft of fuel from Pemex pipelines or huachicoleo .

The Sinaloa or Pacific Cartel is going through an internal struggle, led by the sons of Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán , know as  "Los Chapitos" or "Los Menores" and the faction led by Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.

This is revealed by intelligence reports of the National Security Commission (CNS), through the Federal Police, and the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) updated to July 2018. 

Consulted on the recomposition of drug trafficking in the country, the head of the CNS, Renato Sales Heredia, maintained that there is a dispersion of the cartels that has increased the violence. 

"This has happened precisely in border areas, in ports and in places like Guanajuato because of the issue of the huachicol , an entity in which groups that split up from the Jalisco Nueva Generacion Cartel, CJNG and other groups have appeared to face each other . 

What we have on the border and in Colima is the market that has to do with some drugs in particular.

"This dispersion of the criminal groups has also generated the increase in homicide rates."

THE HEAVY GROUPS:

The reports consulted by MILENIO reveal that they are 15 the most important criminal organizations operating in the country.

It is the New Generation Jalisco Cartel (CJNG); the Sinaloa Cartel; the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel; The Zetas ; the Northeast Cartel; the West Cartel; the New Juarez Cartel and the Gulf Cartel. 

Also Los Viagras ; the Cartel of Tijuana Nueva Generación, CTNG ; The Arellano Felix; La  Familia ; Los Beltrán Leyva; the Independent Cartel of Acapulco (CIDA) and the Cartel Nueva Plaza.

In recent weeks there has been a rebound in the rivalry between the CJNG and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel for the theft of hydrocarbons and narcomenudeo in Guanajuato. 

In Baja California, executions are linked to the struggle between the Sinaloa-Los Arellano Félix and Jalisco-Tijuana Nueva Generación , ie CJNG and CTNG ,alliances for dominating retail drug sales. 

According to federal authorities, in Chihuahua, especially in Ciudad Juarez, the offensive of La Línea against the Los Aztecas gang for the control of the sale of drugs prevails , "which adds to its confrontation with the Sinaloa cartel that seeks to consolidate the crystal meth market. "

In Guerrero, Acapulco has remained the main focus of attention due to the rivalry between Beltrán Leyva and CIDA, who seek to handle extortion and drug dealing . 

Other conflicts prevail in Michoacán, between CJNG and Los Viagras: 

In Jalisco between the CJNG and the New Plaza; the entity occupies the third place for the number of narco laboratories detected and destroyed; from December 2012 to July 15, 2018, there have been 68. 

The internal war continues in Sinaloa between fractions of that cartel, which increased after the recapture and extradition of "El Chapo" Guzmán to the US; while in Veracruz the battle is between the CJNG and Los Zetas .

The National Defense points out that in Colima where the CJNG, the Sinaloa Cartel and La Familia Michoacana operate , while there is a bloody struggle between the first two criminal organizations. 

In Baja California the rivalry is between the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG, as well as between Tijuana Nueva Generación, CTNG and Sinaloa, the latter based in Baja California Sur. 

According to the Sedena, in Tamaulipas the fight is between the Gulf Cartel, the Zetas and the Northeast Cartel, as well as several divisions of both groups. 

On July 20, the Army found in the municipality of Nueva Ciudad Guerrero apparel with American-style military camouflage: 61 jackets, 147 pants and 138 pixelated camisoles.

The Gulf Cartel is based in Zacatecas and the CJNG in Aguascalientes, while the Sinaloa Cartel operates in Durango, which fights against the Cartel del Poniente, especially for the huachicoleo .