Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG ) is arguably the most powerful and ruthless drug cartel in the world.
And its tentacles have spread from Mexico’s border states to once tranquil towns across America.
The Louisville Courier Journal’s Beth Warren has more:
Somewhere deep in Mexico’s remote wilderness, the world’s most dangerous and wanted drug lord is hiding. If someone you love dies from an overdose tonight, he may very well be to blame.
He’s called “El Mencho.”
His name is virtually unknown to Americans, but law enforcement officials hope that changes soon, thanks in part to a $10 million bounty on his head.
El Mencho’s powerful international syndicate is flooding the U.S. with thousands of kilos of methamphetamines, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl every year — despite being targeted repeatedly by undercover stings, busts and lengthy investigations.
The unending stream of narcotics has contributed to this country’s unprecedented addiction crisis, devastating families and killing more than 300,000 people since 2013.
El Mencho’s rise is reminiscent of Pablo Escobar and a painful reminder of the United States’ seemingly implacable problem with drugs and drug addiction.