Mexican authorities detained 20 alleged members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) during simultaneous operations at 36 properties in the states of Hidalgo, Jalisco, and Michoacán, Security and Citizen Protection Secretary Omar García Harfuch reported Monday.
With these arrests and others carried out on August 19, a total of 32 people linked to the criminal organization have been detained in less than a week, the official said on social media.
“The coordination between the Defense Ministry, Navy, SSPC, FGR, and National Guard made it possible to carry out simultaneous operations at 36 properties in Hidalgo, Jalisco, and Michoacán, where 20 people linked to the CJNG were arrested,” García Harfuch stated.
The operations were carried out between August 21 and 23 and primarily targeted members of the criminal group operating in the border area between Jalisco and Michoacán, according to a statement from the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC).
Authorities executed technical investigation warrants at the 36 properties following intelligence and investigative work conducted by the institutions that make up the Security Cabinet.
During the operations, authorities seized 10 firearms—seven handguns and three long guns—as well as magazines and ammunition of various calibers, along with doses of substances resembling fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana.
They also seized 113 vehicles, cash, jewelry, communications equipment, a drone, and a drone jammer.
García Harfuch also said that among the items seized were “tigers, panthers, other animals and birds that were being inadequately cared for,” while the SSPC generally described the discovery as involving wildlife and farm animals.
The 20 detainees were transported aboard a Mexican Navy aircraft to Mexico City and handed over to the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), which will conduct the investigations and forensic examinations needed to determine their legal status.
The government linked these arrests to the operation conducted on August 19, when another 12 people allegedly connected to the CJNG were detained, bringing the total to 32.
“The objective of the Security Cabinet is not only to arrest those generating violence, but to continuously weaken the operational, logistical, and financial capabilities of criminal organizations,” García Harfuch said.
The CJNG is one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the world. Earlier this year, its leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias El Mencho, died during an operation involving federal forces and U.S. authorities.
Source: telemundo
