EXCLUSIVE: How CJNG’s Terrorist Leadership Structure Operates

The terrorist Organization Cartel Jalisco New Generation has established a hierarchical structure that allows the criminal organization to control its vast territories throughout Mexico. Similar to how a large-scale company operates, the structure allowed the cartel’s underbosses to run day-to-day operations without the constant need for supervision from the cartel’s supreme leader, the late Ruben Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.

As Breitbart Texas reported, Mexican military forces tracked down and killed the fugitive terrorist leader on Sunday during a fierce gunbattle in the state of Jalisco. In the aftermath of his death, his cartel forces spread terror throughout Mexico, torching buildings, setting up blockades, and carjacking vehicles in a show of force.

El Mencho’s death has sparked much uncertainty about the fate of the criminal organization, with some intelligence analysts pointing to possible fracturing or infighting, while others point to even more violence as rival organizations may seek to benefit from the perceived weakness of CJNG at the current loss of their supreme leader.

Breitbart Texas obtained a series of intelligence documents from Mexico’s Navy that revealed how CJNG’s power structure operates and how the organization manages day-to-day operations. Sources within Mexico’s Navy also pointed to the structure still being in place and to the cartel’s ability to continue using the current model for the time being, thus avoiding internal infighting.

While El Mencho was the supreme leader, right under him were three top bosses known as the Tridents who ran the organization. The current Tridents have been identified as:

– Juan Carlos “El 3” Valencia, who is the step-son of El Mencho.

-Audias “El Jardínero” Flores.

-Hugo Cesar “El Tuli” Macias Urena – an alleged son-in-law of El Mencho who also died during Sunday’s raid.

Under the Tridents, CJNG has a series of underbosses who control their regional leaders, who in turn control the plaza bosses. Plaza bosses are described as the cartel’s leaders in a specific city.

This model enables the criminal organization to maintain a controlling presence in numerous states across Mexico. While various news outlets claim that Valencia has assumed the leadership of CJNG, current information indicates that the Trident structure remains in place to prevent the chaos that follows when the top leader is removed.

Mexican Navy intelligence sources revealed to Breitbart Texas that a council of advisors, including a representative of the cartel’s financial arm, the Cuinis, is expected to decide on the next Trident, who will replace the late Tuli. The information shared with Breitbart Texas indicates that the next Trident is likely to be Gonzalo “El Sapo” Mendoza Gaytan, a senior CJNG member who previously served as the plaza boss in Puerto Vallarta.

A high-level source within Mexico’s Navy revealed to Breitbart Texas that several well-known cartel figures wield significant power and influence. The positions of Trident and underboss are only for founding members of the CJNG and are not available to individuals who joined from other organizations. The highest level that an outsider can reach within the CJNG is regional boss, which gives them power over various plaza bosses.

The rule was set in place to keep outsiders from infiltrating the organization at the highest levels and then breaking away, the intelligence source revealed.  This rule prevents well-known figures who joined CJNG from organizations such as Los Blancos de Troya, the Gulf Cartel, Los Viagras, and others from becoming Tridents.

According to Mexican Navy intelligence documents, CJNG currently has cells in all 32 states in Mexico, each ultimately responding to one of the three Tridents.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.

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