SEDENA Leaks: CJNG's Criminal Structure In Colima

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

Although rival groups point to the son-in-law of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, 'El Mencho', as being responsible for criminal activities in Colima, reports hacked by the Guacamaya collective, known as SEDENA Leaks, revealed that the state leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is Juan José Torruco Ramos, 'El Apa', and Aldrin Miguel Jarquin Jarquin, "Chaparrito".

In the Panorama Delictivo elaborated by the Army, it considered that the interest of this criminal group and others in Manzanillo is due to its geographic location.

The municipality is the main port in Mexico and one of the most important in the world, which is why it moves a large number of different types of merchandise, which is relevant for members of organized crime, who seek to control it.

This is how the CJNG extracts precursors and drugs in Manzanillo.

The CJNG moves criminal goods by means of flatbed trucks for the entry of tools, as well as extracting drugs in smaller quantities.

The extraction of drugs by sea was detected with the use of divers during the docking of ships at the port's docks.

They also noticed the installation of GPS devices in containers of their interest, as well as contamination and concealment of drugs in containerized cargo, using smaller vessels and personnel boarding the container ships, to carry out the extraction when the vessel departs from the Port of Manzanillo.

Who are the CJNG leadership according to SEDENA Leaks?

The criminal structure of the CJNG in Colima is as follows:

First level:

Juan José Torruco Ramos

Second level:

Diego Madero Mendoza. Tecomán Chief

Luis Gabriel Cabrera Jiménez, Tecomán Operator

José L. Sánchez Valencia, 'El Chamán'.

Third level:

Óscar Fernando Arreguín 'Grande'. Chief of assassins

Juan Miguel Montero

What other cartels operate in Colima: SEDENA Leaks?

The leaked dossier mentioned that another of the predominant organizations in the state is the Pacific Cartel.

Together with the CJNG, they have a major presence in the municipalities of Armería, Colima, Tecomán and Manzanillo, with a dispute prevailing between members of these organizations, mainly for control of the municipalities of Manzanillo and Tecomán.

The narco-war began over the control of drug trafficking through the arrival of containers with chemical precursors and drugs at the Port of Manzanillo, a situation that is reflected in the increase in violence rates.

Starting in 2018, various security strategies were implemented conformed by the three levels of government, in order to reduce the high rates of violence, in attention to the strategy implemented by the Federal Government, with the objective of reducing violence, increasing the security of the state and protecting the economy, during the month of February of this year, a decrease in the statistics of violence in the State was identified, derived from the arrest of target generators of violence in the municipalities of Manzanillo and Tecomán.

The fall of 'La Vaca' and the narco-blockades

When he was arrested in Mexico City, his hired killers burned vehicles and carried out narco-blockades in response.

Authorities reported that Brizuela Meraz, 'La Vaca', entered the Altiplano prison in the State of Mexico on August 19, following his recapture in the country's capital.

Violent reactions in Colima are expected to persist, as well as a possible readjustment in the cartels' organization chart due to the capture of their main leader.

Journalist Ricardo Raphael documented that the new leader of the organization will be Julio Alberto Castillo Rodriguez, Oseguera Cervantes' son-in-law.

And this seems to be the cause of the violent clashes between the leaders of the main plazas.

Raphael noted that the CJNG bosses do not agree with this decision.

Who would be 'El Mencho's' successor?

Julio Alberto Castillo Rodriguez, husband of Jessica Johana Oseguera Gonzalez, was identified as the head of the cartel's network of operators in Manzanillo.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, OFAC, considered the son-in-law to be in charge of the CJNG cell that causes violence in Colima.

The blacklisted members are: Aldrin Miguel Jarquin Jarquin, Jose Jesus Jarquin Jarquin, Cesar Enrique Diaz De Leon Sauceda and Fernando Zagal Anton.

The document mentioned that the four are responsible for trafficking fentanyl and other drugs into U.S. territory.

As well as receiving orders from the son-in-law of 'El Mencho' and Andres Rivera Varela 'La Firma'; Bernabe 'La Vaca', alleged head of the Independent Cartel of Colima', pointed to the son-in-law of 'El Mencho' as the cause of the violence in Colima.

Union Jalisco