Narco News Update #24
News this week:
Turmoil in Chiapas: CJNG and Sinaloa Cartels Battle for Trafficking Routes
Texas Enacts Law Designating Drug Cartels as 'Foreign Terrorist Organizations'
Investigation Launched into Alleged Extrajudicial Killings by Mexican Soldiers
Top Cartel Lieutenant Arrested Amid Turf War in Western Mexico
Arrest of Armed Cartel Members Near Texas Border Reported by DPS
CJNG vs CDS: Escalating Cartel Battles and Tensions in Jalisco
U.S. Sanctions Key Members of Jalisco New Generation Cartel
Organized Crime Groups Kidnap Automotive Armoring Experts in Mexico
Approximately 4400 lbs of Methamphetamine Seized in Navolato, Sinaloa Lab Raid
Son of Alleged Gulf Cartel Associate Arrested for Intimidating DEA Agent
Turmoil in Chiapas: CJNG and Sinaloa Cartels Battle for Trafficking Routes
Chiapas, a southern Mexican state, is experiencing a surge in violence and displacement as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG) vie for control of drug trafficking and migrant smuggling routes from neighboring Guatemala. Over the last fortnight, the conflict has caused at least 60 deaths and forced over 3,000 residents of Frontera Comalapa, a municipality near the Guatemalan border, to flee. Mexican authorities have dispatched over 1,500 military and police personnel in response to the escalating violence, which includes executions, forced recruitment, and roadblocks. This border region, particularly Frontera Comalapa, serves as a major hub for transnational criminal activities, including drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and human smuggling, making it a contested space for Mexico's dominant criminal groups. The recent violence is in line with the CJNG's broader strategy to challenge the Sinaloa Cartel's strong influence in Guatemala and establish their own criminal networks.