The DEA’s most recent 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment confirmed what many suspected: the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) has a significant presence in Puebla, as does the Sinaloa Cartel, placing the state at the center of a silent dispute between the country’s two most powerful criminal groups.
The report, published on May 15 by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, places Puebla among the 23 Mexican states where the CJNG maintains operational dominance, while also warning that the Sinaloa Cartel has also gained a foothold in the state.
📍 The CJNG dominates Puebla and 22 other states with active operations.
⚔️ Sinaloa also has a presence in the state, although not in Jalisco.
🌍 Both cartels have international reach in more than 40 countries.
🧭 Puebla appears to be a strategic point between disputed territories.
📄 The DEA dedicated its report to Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, an agent killed in Mexico.
🗺️ Puebla, caught in the crossfire
Although Puebla has not seen levels of violence comparable to other states such as Guanajuato or Michoacán, the DEA’s double threat issues an implicit warning: the state is in the crosshairs of large-scale drug trafficking.
The rival groups CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel are already operating within the same territory, which could lead to future conflicts over route control, extortion charges, or the distribution of illicit substances.
🚨 CJNG: Unchecked Growth
According to the DEA’s analysis, the CJNG has capitalized on the Sinaloa Cartel’s internal conflicts, specifically between “Los Chapitos” and “Los Mayos,” to expand aggressively. It already has operations in almost every US state, making it the cartel with the greatest current expansion.
🔍 And the other cartels?
Other criminal groups such as the Familia Michoacana, the Northeast Cartel, and the Gulf Cartel have no detected operations in Puebla, but they are present in neighboring states such as Veracruz, Morelos, and Guerrero, keeping the state surrounded by areas of high criminal activity.
Puebla has historically been viewed as a transit or logistics zone for drug traffickers, but the dual presence of the CJNG and Sinaloa changes the rules of the game.
How long will the relative “calm” in the state be sustainable?
And how will the authorities respond to a threat that has already been warned about internationally?
🚨 DEA warns: CJNG dominates Puebla and competes with Sinaloa
🔴 Drug trafficking in Puebla: CJNG has a “significant presence,” reveals the DEA
⚔️ Puebla, disputed territory: CJNG and Sinaloa operate in the state
🌐 The CJNG is expanding throughout Mexico and already controls Puebla, according to the DEA
📉 Puebla is already a key area for drug trafficking, reports the DEA in 2025
Source: elincorrecto
