CJNG Blame CDS's Mario González for National Guard Attacks in Jalisco

"HEARST" and "narcomappingMX" for Borderland Beat

Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) says the National Guard soldiers were not killed by their hitmen but instead by the hitmen of their rival Mario González during the recent attack in northern Jalisco.

The Video

A new video message from the CJNG, shared by cartel news twitter accounts like BALAM., has been released.

The video features some of the cartel’s signature video tropes such as aerial shots of a large group of hitmen, likely filmed via a drone which appears in a later shot within the video; as well as panning shots highlighting hitmen with firearms positioned on the ground, posing as if they were preparing to shoot.

Video Source: BALAM.

Throughout the video, a voiceover plays of a hitman reading off a message from the CJNG. The message is as follows, as translated by narcomappingmx:

Good afternoon people of Villa Hidalgo and Teocaltiche

(UNCLEAR) We want to make clear that the actions on the 16 of May in the municipalities of Villa Hidalgo and Teocaltiche. There were confrontations in these municipalities, they were only against the lacras of Mario Gonzalez and his brother Ramon. We want to clarify that the 4 letters oppose directly the attacks against the National Guard. Our war is not with them, we have never been against the government.

Our conflict is against Mario Gonzalez, his brother Ramon, and all his [bola de ratas = literally "ball of rats"] thugs. We have evidence and videos that corroborate that after the confrontations, the municipal police of Villa Hidalgo arrive together with the gunmen, and that they pay them for protection.

Its also clear and evident that Francisco Javier (unclear) First Inspector of the National Guard, as well as Ismael (unclear) Hernandez, (unclear) Beltran (unclear), Rafael Ojeda Castro, who are all Second Sub Inspectors of the National Guard, are protecting these dividers. The only thing they are doing is making this war larger, through their corruption and protection. We want to make clear to all the people, civilians, that we have arrived here and we come to take care of you.

 

Attentamente, CJNG

The Context

The CJNG message centers around the culpability for the May 16, 2022 attack in which three soldiers from the National Guard were killed.

This attack occurred in the municipalities of Villa Hidalgo and Teocaltiche, located in the northern part of the state of Jalisco, where a pocket of Sinaloa Cartel groups and CJNG dissidents like the Cartel Nueva Plaza have held a section of territory for decades. 

This video is not the first time the CJNG has made mention of Mario González Martínez. The CJNG dropped leaflets telling the civilians and government personnel in both Villa Hidalgo and Teocaltiche that their battle was not against them, but only against “Mario González and his mob”. For more details, please see this previous story. 

Mario González Martínez is the son of Mario González Gutiérrez, who was a Sinaloa Cartel leader and a close friend of El Mayo up until Gutiérrez’s death. For more details see this previous story covering some of this history. 

Mario González was arrested back in 2009 but he was either quietly released or he continues to give orders while in jail because he is considered to be in control of the municipality of Teocaltiche. He leads the area alongside Martín Alejandro Beltrán Coronel, alias “El Águila”, from the Sinaloa Cartel group Los Coroneles (also called La Corona). 

Sources: BALAM., Informador, Vanguardia, Simebargo, Mural, Diario Puntual