The Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG) is a powerful crime group in Mexico that has been using forced disappearance and exploiting corruption to build up its local drug market in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state. According to the Mexican government’s Epidemiological Surveillance System for Addictions (SISVEA), crystal methamphetamine use has skyrocketed in recent years in and around Guadalajara, with over two-thirds of people seeking help for addiction at Jalisco’s non-governmental treatment centers citing it as the substance that causes them most harm.
To maintain control over the local drug market and social control, the CJNG has corrupted local officials and used forced disappearances. While the group is known for its extreme violence in other areas, it has opted to keep overt violence to a minimum in Guadalajara. A sociologist at Guadalajara University, Jorge Ramírez, stated that “outside of Jalisco it seems like a very bellicose group,” but here, it exercises a much finer control.
The CJNG is heavily involved in the local drug market, controlling points of sale and accessing areas for extortion and drug production. However, it does not have total dominion over the city’s drug trade, with other criminal groups operating under its umbrella. Drug consumers stated that there are places to buy drugs everywhere and access to drugs is easy, including in bars and restaurants.
The accessibility of drugs has contributed to an increase in consumption locally, particularly of crystal methamphetamine, according to a clinical psychologist at the Guadalajara Youth Integration Centers (CIJ). Many adult users take it to boost their energy during long workdays. As the local drug market grows, so does the competition between criminal groups that operate under the umbrella of the CJNG.
Overall, the CJNG’s control over the local drug market in Guadalajara has led to a thriving and accessible drug trade, with easy access to drugs for consumers and an increase in consumption, particularly of crystal methamphetamine. The group’s use of forced disappearances and corruption maintains its social and territorial control over the area.
The city of Guadalajara has been divided into different zones controlled by criminal groups that sell drugs with distinct packaging colors. This territorial control map is created through the sale of drugs from each group’s designated area, indicating which areas are under their control. Users who consume drugs from rival groups or purchase from unauthorized dealers risk being threatened, killed, or disappeared. An extortion manager warned, “Buying wherever you want is delicate because it could be said that you’re buying from a rival criminal organization.”
The Jalisco state government has reported over 15,000 missing persons, with the majority of these cases likely connected to organized crime. The CJNG, a powerful criminal organization, has been responsible for many disappearances in Guadalajara. They often punish individuals who do not pay debts, buy drugs from unauthorized suppliers, or commit petty crimes like robbery by disappearing them.
Disappearances in Jalisco began to increase significantly around 2009 when the CJNG emerged as a separate entity after internal divisions and conflicts within its predecessor, the Milenio Cartel. This surge in disappearances peaked in 2019 with 1,754 reported cases and has continued at high levels since then.
Experts suggest that the disparity between the number of disappearances and homicides may be due to authorities’ desire to keep murder rates down. The lack of physical evidence in disappearance cases makes it difficult for authorities to prosecute and often leaves families without closure or answers about what happened to their loved ones.
The psychological impact of forced disappearances on civil society is significant, causing emotional turmoil and long-term damage to those affected. Many victims have no connection to organized crime but are disappeared nonetheless, leaving families in limbo and authorities struggling to address the issue.
The corruption of Guadalajara’s law enforcement has enabled the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) to disappear victims with impunity and dominate the city, sources suggest. The city has a history of police abuses and links to organized crime, which has led to numerous instances of human rights violations.
In 2020, protests erupted in Guadalajara after the death of Giovanni López, a day laborer who was arrested for allegedly not wearing a face mask and died a day later while in police custody. Dozens of protesters were kidnapped by disguised police officers, beaten, or faced death threats before being dumped miles away.
The corruption of law enforcement is not limited to Guadalajara; it is a nationwide problem. Security forces have been accused of human rights abuses, often working hand-in-hand with criminal organizations they are supposed to confront.
In the case of Daniel Flores’ disappearance, his father, who has continued searching for him despite receiving multiple death threats and intimidation, believes that state authorities were involved in his son’s disappearance. The investigation has been plagued by institutional failures, including a lack of due diligence, transparency, or rigor in police investigations.
Experts have suggested that security officials could be involved with criminal organizations in local forced disappearances. Despite the harassment, Flores remains determined to find his son and will continue searching for him. His case is just one example of the widespread corruption within law enforcement agencies in Mexico.
Source: Insidedrime.org
