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The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a powerful Mexican drug cartel, has expanded its reach globally through its sophisticated use of artificial intelligence, drones, and social media. This article delves into the CJNG's embrace of technology, exploring how it has transformed its recruitment methods, financing strategies, and control mechanisms, leading to unprecedented operational capacity.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) has leveraged cutting-edge technology to expand its reach and solidify its position in the global drug trafficking landscape. CJNG uses artificial intelligence, drones, and social media to outmaneuver law enforcement tactics and establish a vast network of operatives across multiple countries. TikTok has become a recruitment tool for Mexican cartels, including CJNG, with 100 active accounts linked to illicit organizations identified by research. The CJNG accounted for 54.3% of detected social media accounts promoting recruitment and propaganda, highlighting its adaptability in response to law enforcement efforts. The cartel uses drones modified with explosives to attack rivals, resulting in dozens of deaths, injuries, and forced displacements. CJNG's internal structure has created a specialized unit for unmanned aircraft operations, solidifying the cartel's position as one of the greatest threats globally. The cartel operates in over 40 countries with a complex financial structure known as Los Cuinis, posing significant security concerns worldwide.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) has emerged as one of the most formidable forces in the global drug trafficking landscape, leveraging cutting-edge technology to expand its reach and solidify its position. The cartel's sophisticated use of artificial intelligence (AI), drones, and social media has enabled it to outmaneuver traditional law enforcement tactics and establish a vast network of operatives across multiple countries.
At the heart of the CJNG's technological strategy lies its extensive use of AI-driven tools for recruitment and fraud. According to investigations by El Colegio de México, in collaboration with the Civic AI Lab at Northeastern University in Boston, TikTok has become a recruitment tool for Mexican cartels, including the CJNG. The research identified 100 active accounts linked to illicit organizations, categorized their content as recruitment, border crossings, illegal businesses, prostitution, propaganda, and arms sales. Forty-seven percent of these accounts promoted the recruitment of new members, while 31 percent disseminated propaganda messages.
The study further revealed that the CJNG accounted for 54.3 percent of the detected accounts, followed by the Sinaloa Cartel and the Northeast Cartel. This data highlights the cartel's ability to adapt its recruitment strategies in response to law enforcement efforts, using social media platforms to reach potential recruits and build trust.
Another report on the use of AI by criminal networks indicates that these structures employ advanced systems to simulate kidnappings, impersonate others, and optimize traffic routes using predictive algorithms that reduce operational risks. The CJNG has been particularly effective in leveraging this technology, using drones modified with explosives to attack its rivals. According to figures from the Ministry of National Defense, there were five drone attacks attributed to drug trafficking in 2020, escalating to 107 recorded in 2021, 233 in 2022, and 260 in the first half of 2023.
These aerial assaults have resulted in dozens of deaths, injuries, and forced displacements. The CJNG's use of drones has also led to a significant escalation in the number of drone-related incidents, with commercial models like the DJI Mini 3 being modified with galvanized tubes containing gunpowder, pellets, or metal fragments.
The cartel's internal structure has played a crucial role in its technological advancements. In 2023, researchers found that the CJNG had created a unit specializing in unmanned aircraft known as Drone Operators, made up of experts who use these devices for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, intimidating propaganda, and attacks. This internal structure has allowed the cartel to consolidate itself as one of the greatest threats globally.
The DEA notes that the CJNG operates in more than 40 countries and has a financial structure known as Los Cuinis, headed by Abigael González Valencia, Oseguera's brother-in-law. This network coordinates money-laundering operations through international trade, cryptocurrencies, and links with Asian networks.
Experts warn that the CJNG's global reach poses significant security concerns. The US State Department says that the cartel maintains a presence and contacts in "almost all of Mexico," the American continent, and countries such as Australia, China, and various Southeast Asian nations. The agency underscores the cartel's criminal versatility: In addition to fentanyl trafficking, it is involved in extortion, migrant smuggling, oil and mineral theft, and illicit arms trade.
In conclusion, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel's embrace of technology has transformed its recruitment methods, financing strategies, and control mechanisms, leading to unprecedented operational capacity. As law enforcement agencies continue to adapt to this new landscape, it remains crucial to understand the CJNG's technological strategy and its implications for global security.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/The-Global-Reach-of-the-Jalisco-New-Generation-Cartel-A-Study-on-AI-Driven-Recruitment-Drones-and-Social-Media-ehn.shtml
https://www.wired.com/story/how-mexicos-cjng-drug-cartel-embraced-ai-drones-and-social-media/
https://mexicodailypost.news/2025/09/29/cjng-and-sinaloa-cartel-incorporate-ai-for-digital-crimes-and-logistics-findings-of-an-international-study/
Published: Wed Feb 25 05:40:44 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
