About this Video

• Video Title: How the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) Uses Extreme Violence and Disinformation to Gain Power
• Channel: IRONCLAD
• Speakers: Chris Dolby, Vincent (Interviewer)
• Duration: 00:48:10

Introduction

This IRONCLAD Borderland interview features Chris Dolby, a journalist and expert on the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The video explores the CJNG's unique operational methods, emphasizing their unsustainable, hyper-violent approach to business, their use of disinformation and social media for recruitment and intimidation, and the challenges faced by law enforcement in combating them.

Key Takeaways

1. CJNG's Unsustainable Business Model: Unlike other cartels, the CJNG doesn't prioritize a sustainable status quo. They ruthlessly exploit industries, driving competitors out of business to replace them with their operatives. This approach fosters immense violence but lacks long-term stability.

2. CJNG's Use of Violence and Disinformation: The CJNG uses extreme violence as a tool for power projection and intimidation, employing tactics such as drone warfare and disseminating propaganda through social media. Their online presence varies; some cartels (like Los Chapitos) utilize a glamorous lifestyle brand, while the CJNG focuses on showcasing their firepower and brutality.

3. Challenges in Combating CJNG: The CJNG's reliance on foreign mercenaries, their decentralized structure, and the pervasive corruption within Mexican law enforcement create significant challenges for effective countermeasures. Traditional "kingpin" strategies targeting high-profile leaders may be ineffective, as their removal often leads to increased violence and fragmentation.

4. CJNG's Extortion Methods: The CJNG engages in sophisticated and systematic extortion, leveraging access to government databases to calculate extortion fees based on victims' profits. This financially crippling tactic forces businesses to close, leaving the CJNG to seize their assets.

5. Political Influence and Corruption: The CJNG's influence extends to local and state politics through corruption and intimidation. They actively interfere with elections, threatening and killing candidates to maintain control. Lack of trust between the US and Mexican governments further complicates collaborative efforts to combat the cartel's activities.

The transcript explains that the CJNG's lack of deep-rooted connections in many areas makes local recruitment difficult, as there's a lack of trust. This forces them to rely heavily on foreign mercenaries from countries like Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Venezuela, who are either paid or coerced into working for them. This reliance on foreign fighters impacts their operational strategies, as it leads to less reliable and potentially less integrated personnel.

The interviewee expresses cautious optimism regarding Claudia Sheinbaum's presidency. He points to several potential positives: her fluency in English and familiarity with US policies, her relatively positive security record as mayor of Mexico City (including collaboration with Oakland, California, on crime reduction strategies), and the appointment of Omar Garcia Harfuch as her security chief. Harfuch's experience in building long-term prosecutorial cases and his methodological approach to combating cartels are highlighted as potentially beneficial. However, the interviewee emphasizes that these are early assessments and the situation remains fluid.