A new series of sanctions handed down by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (USDOT) against the leadership structure of Mexico’s Cartel Jalisco New Generation confirms an exclusive Breitbart News Foundation report in February that highlighted the operational structure of the terrorist organization. The sanctions from USDOT are the largest ever of its kind.
This week, the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed a series of sanctions against a total of 50 businesses and individuals identified as the key leaders and businesses of CJNG. The move seeks to freeze any assets and accounts linked to those on the list and also prohibits any U.S. citizens or businesses from having any connection with them, virtually locking them out of the U.S. financial system.
The move focuses on its new leader and his two top underlings and their individual structures. The new leader is Juan Carlos “Pelon or El 3” Valencia Gonzalez, the stepson of slain CJNG founder and former supreme leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes. He assumed power of the organization shortly after, as Breitbart Texas reported, El Mencho died during a shootout with Mexican authorities in February.
According to an exclusive report from Breitbart News Foundation, CJNG’s structure is not based solely on one particular leader, but on three top leaders who share, to a certain extent, control of the organization. Known as the Trident, the two other leaders are Audias “El Jardinero” Flores and Gonzalo “El Sapo” Gaytan.
In its sanctions, the U.S. Treasury listed both men as being directly under Pelon and having individual structures similar to the Trident structure reported by Breitbart News, showing El Jardinero as having control in Jalisco, Nayarit, Michoacan, Guerrero, and Zacatecas, while El Sapo operates his own structure as well.
The report published by the U.S. Treasury also highlights not only the drug trafficking operations by CJNG, but lists several companies used for money laundering, as well as the trafficking of fuel, as well as time-share fraud. The companies listed include energy companies, liquor manufacturers, baby shoe factories, agricultural companies, and even a sports supplement company.
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 [email protected].
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 [email protected].
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