Map Shows CJNG Cartel's Widespread US Presence Amid Mexico Violence

The cartel wields influence in cities across the US, according to a DEA report.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), whose leader was killed in a Mexican military operation, has a presence in cities across the United States, according to a 2020 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) report. The cartel is considered one of Mexico's most powerful and ruthless transnational criminal organizations, engaging in drug trafficking, extortion, migrant smuggling, and other illicit activities.

Why it matters

The U.S. State Department has designated CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and the Department of Justice says the cartel controls a significant portion of the narcotics trade and has a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the U.S. The DEA has described CJNG as 'one of the most significant threats to the public health, public safety, and national security of the United States'.

The details

The DEA's 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment report found that CJNG wields influence in cities from New York to Los Angeles. The cartel's leader, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, was seriously injured and later died during a military operation in Mexico on Sunday. This triggered violence in parts of western Mexico.

  • On Sunday, Mexico's Ministry of Defense announced that Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, a prominent CJNG leader, was seriously injured during a military operation and later died.
  • The U.S. State Department issued a shelter-in-place order for U.S. citizens in multiple locales in Mexico due to ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity on Sunday.

The players

Jalisco New Generation Cartel/Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG)

A transnational criminal organization that controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade and has a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the U.S. The cartel also engages in money laundering, bribery, extortion of migrants, taxing of migrant smugglers, and other criminal activities.

Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes

A prominent leader of the CJNG cartel who was seriously injured and later died during a military operation in Mexico on Sunday.

U.S. State Department

Designated CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in February 2025 and issued a shelter-in-place order for U.S. citizens in multiple locales in Mexico due to ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity.

U.S. Department of Justice

Said CJNG is a transnational criminal organization that controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade and has a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the U.S.

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

Described CJNG as 'one of the most significant threats to the public health, public safety, and national security of the United States' and found in a 2020 report that the cartel wields influence in cities from New York to Los Angeles.

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What they’re saying

“The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is a key supplier of illicit fentanyl to the United States, and one of Mexico's most powerful, influential, and ruthless transnational criminal organizations.”

— DEA (DEA website)

“CJNG is a transnational organization with a presence in nearly every part of Mexico. In addition to trafficking fentanyl, the group engages in extortion, migrant smuggling, oil and mineral theft, as well as weapons trade.”

— U.S. State Department (U.S. State Department press release)

What’s next

Areas that remain under the shelter in place order include Guadalajara (Jalisco), Puerto Vallarta (Jalisco/Nayarit), Ciudad Guzman (Jalisco), Tijuana (Baja California), Chiapas and Michoacan. U.S. citizens in the affected regions are advised to avoid areas around law enforcement activity, seek shelter, minimize unnecessary movements, and monitor local media for updates.

The takeaway

The widespread presence of the CJNG cartel in the U.S., as well as its designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, highlights the significant threat it poses to public safety and national security. This underscores the need for continued cooperation between U.S. and Mexican authorities to disrupt the cartel's operations and address the broader issue of transnational organized crime.