What are the cartels that operate on the northern border, armored area with 10,000 Mexican guards

The morning of February 3, the Government of Mexico ordered the deployment of ten thousand elements of the National guard to different points of the northern border as part of the agreements established by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and her counterpart from the United States, Donald Trump.

The call North border operation It aims to support the security personnel who are already in Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas to curb drug trafficking towards the US, especially the Fentanyl.

According to a report prepared by the federal security cabinet, cells of at least five criminal groups operate in said region: Sinaloa Cartel (CDS), Northeast Cartel (CDN), Gulf cartel (CDG), Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and Cartel de los Arellano Félix (CAF). In each of the entities to which the members of the National Guard will arrive there are different dynamics related to the struggle among criminal organizations.

The cities of Baja California priority for the North Border operation are Tecate, Tijuana and Mexicaliin which organized crime has noticed its presence with the sale of drugs, as well as with disappearances and extortion to the fishing industry.

Reports of the Ministry of National Defense (Defense), the Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR) and the Ministry of Citizen Security and Protection (SSPC) identify in that state the operation of the operation of the CDS and the Arellano Félix. There are also research that reflects the incursion of the CJNG in the area at least since 2015.

For its part, the United States government identifies Alfonso Arzate García (‘The Achilles‘) and René Arzate García (‘The frog‘) As Plaza Chiefs in Tijuana who work for the CDS, especially for the face related to Ismael’ El Mayo ‘Zambada. In Mexicali, another cell linked to ‘May’, known as The Russianskeep a struggle for the control of drug trafficking with The Chapitosside related to the family of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán.

It should be remembered that this entity is one of the red spotlights for Mexico and the US for traffic and fentanyl consumption. A report recently published by the Elementa Human organization reflects that 99% of opioids examined by civil associations in Tijuana and Mexicali It contained fentanyl.

Until 2023, the Sonora control dispute had at least three fronts: the Caborca ​​cartelcells associated with The Chapitos and groups linked to the ‘May’ Zambada. However, in the last couple of years there has been a notorious rearrangement that has even allowed the arrival of the CJNG to the entity.

Since the beginning of 2024 multiple reports were announced on the appearance of an organization known as New Sonora Independent Cartelmade up of the Salazar, the hunters and the walls, sides that emerged as armed arms of the Chapitos but decided to get away from the Guzmán to operate on their own.

Robert J. Bunker, an expert in security issues, previously declared Daily Star that there was a high probability that the CJNG will approach this new group to ask for support in its confrontation with the Chapitos. By the end of the year, the federal authorities recognized the presence of Jalisco Cartel in Sonora.

In addition to this, in the first two -month period of 2025 two events were reported that evidenced the entry of new actors into the criminal map of the State. Through narcomantas, They kills Salas —Group related to the Chapitos – and the new Juarez Cartel (NCDJ) announced their presence in the area, while the Russians of the ‘May’ Zambada hold a dispute in San Luis Río Colorado with the children of ‘Chapo’.

More than two thousand 600 elements of the National Guard will be deployed in areas of Chihuahua such as Ojinaga, Puerto Palomas and Juárez Ciudadan area that in recent years has suffered the onslaught for the territorial struggle between cells of the Juarez cartel (such as The line) and groups arising from the CDS (such as The Salgueiro).

Between September 8 and 20, 2024, the area of ​​the Ojinaga triangle It was stained with blood due to internal disputes on the line, as well as clashes between this group and the Salgueiro. The balance of said vorágine of violence was 26 dead people.

In addition to the operations of these cartels, in the border area of ​​Ciudad Juárez there are records of the presence of local bands such as The Mexicles, The Aztecs and Killer artists.

Due to the border he shares with the state of Texas, Coahuila is one of the strategic points for criminal groups in Mexico. The available reports suggest that the fight for the territory is headed by the CDShe CJNG and the CDN.

It is presumed that the Sinaloa cartel uses its cells settled in Chihuahua, Durango and Zacatecas to advance on Coahuilenses lands, while an alliance between the CJNG and the CDN push their men from Tamaulipas and Nuevo León.

Although there are no reports of the predominant presence of a criminal group in Nuevo León, since the beginning of 2023 Northeast Cartel He deployed dozens of hitmen with the intention of settlement in the entity. The advanced resulted in multiple clashes with state authorities in January of that year.

In addition to this, with the recent capture of Ricardo “G”, aka ‘The Ricky‘, the SSPC confirmed that the armed cell known as The Chukysemanating from the CDN, it would be one of the main generators of violence in Nuevo León, as well as in Coahuila and Tamaulipas.

‘El Ricky’, chief of the Chukys, is located as alleged responsible for the Murder of six members of the Civil Force of Nuevo León; Similarly, the intellectual authorship of multiple extortion, murders and attacks on the police of said entity is awarded.

As has happened for almost a century, the criminal group with the greatest expansion in Tamaulipas is the Gulf Cartel. However, in recent years its presence has been marked by a series of ruptures and alliances with foreign organizations.

In July 2023 it transpired that the faction of The meters —Cellule that emerged in Matamoros, but currently established in Reynosa, “forged an alliance with leaders of the CJNG. It is presumed that shortly before this approach, the Jalisco group sought to associate with the Northeast Cartel to climb to the Plaza de Nuevo Laredo.

On the other hand, it is identified that the split of Scorpions/cyclones has the city of Matamoros as its main basis of operations. Francisco Javier Sierra Anguloaka ‘The deletion‘, It was identified by US authorities as the head of Plaza de los Escorpions that leads people traffic, drug transfer illegal fishing from Baghdad beach.

Although the meters, the scorpions and the CDN are the most active parts in the confrontation, there are also records of the presence of The Reds —Atra cell of the Gulf Cartel – in some parts of Matamoros, Altamira, Ciudad Madero and Tampico.

As part of the Northern Frontera operation, the National Guard will distribute to 743 of its elements In high relevance points for these organizations, such as Nuevo Laredo, Ciudad Mier, Beach Baghdad, Reynosa and Matamoros.