Puebla has become a key state on the map of operations of Mexico’s major cartels, such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel, according to a recent report from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Both groups, designated by the anti-drug agency as foreign terrorist organizations, have a significant presence in Puebla, according to the agency, placing the region at the center of an ongoing struggle to control drug trafficking and violence.
The report, published on May 15, 2025, under the title National Drug Threat Assessment 2025, details the activities and reach of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations, noting that Puebla is one of the states where the CJNG and Sinaloa Cartel have their operational networks.
CJNG, the cartel with the largest presence in Mexico, and Puebla too
According to the DEA, the CJNG is currently the cartel with the largest presence in all of Mexico, and Puebla is no exception. The organization led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” has expanded its control across 20 states, including Puebla, where its power in drug trafficking, extortion, and other crimes places it as a latent threat.
In this sense, and according to the data, the CJNG has infiltrated multiple states, ranging from the most critical points in the north to the southern and southeastern states. In addition to Puebla, its domains include states such as Baja California, Chihuahua, Tamaulipas, Jalisco, Michoacán, Zacatecas, and many more, consolidating its position as the most widespread criminal organization in the country.
The Sinaloa Cartel also has a presence in Puebla
Although the Sinaloa Cartel, led by the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, is historically best known for its operations in the north of the country, its presence in Puebla is also significant.
According to the DEA report, this organization, considered one of the most powerful in the world, operates in 31 Mexican states, with the exception of Jalisco, where the CJNG has absolute control.
In this sense, the Sinaloa Cartel has strategic control over several key states, such as Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Zacatecas, and Durango, while in Puebla a somewhat smaller, but no less worrying, presence is observed.
Three of the five bodies abandoned inside a van in the Los Fuertes area were reported missing.
Bodies abandoned in Los Fuertes identified inside a van; Three were missing.
The man found impaled at the same time, but in Cuautlancingo, has also been identified.
In this way, the DEA highlights that the Sinaloa Cartel also has a smaller presence in states such as Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Querétaro, and the State of Mexico.
The cartel landscape in Puebla
Puebla has become a focal point for both cartels, who are fighting for strategic territories for drug trafficking to the United States and control of distribution routes for fentanyl, methamphetamines, and other illicit substances.
The growing presence of these groups in the region highlights an escalation of violence, clashes between factions, and an intensification of security operations by Mexican authorities.
This DEA report is a reminder of the delicate situation facing Mexico’s states, especially Puebla, where drug cartels dominate and expand, not only in drug trafficking but also in territorial control and the violence they generate.
The presence of the CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel in Puebla is just one piece of the puzzle of the war on drugs, which affects both society and the authorities fighting to restore peace.
Source: oem
