How Mexico's ‘CJNG’ Drug Cartel Embraced AI, Drones, and Social Media

Drug kingpin Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes may be dead, but the Jalisco cartel he ran for years will likely outlive him—thanks, in part, to the criminal group’s embrace of technology.

“El Mencho” is dead.

This weekend, Mexican Army Special Forces killed Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the head of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico. Following confirmation of El Mencho's death by federal authorities, experts anticipate a profound reconfiguration of the global drug trafficking landscape, a scenario that could lead to a new and dangerous wave of violence.

The focus will turn to the CJNG's mechanisms of control, intimidation, financing, and recruitment that granted the cartel unprecedented operational capacity. Much of its strength stemmed from the weakening of long-standing rivals through the sophisticated use of social media and artificial intelligence, state-of-the-art specialized weaponry, and a flexible internal structure.

The ...