How the anti-cartel force of the US Army that participated in the operation against "El Mancho" works in Mexico - Mundo News

The so-called JIATF-CC began operations last month from Tucson, Arizona

How does the new anti-cartel force of the US Army, involved in the operation against "El Mencho" in Mexico.

The death of Nemesio Ozeguera Cervantes, alias "El Mencho," the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) this Sunday at the hands of the Mexican military was one of the worst blows to the country's drug cartels in years.

When the news broke, members of his organization blocked roads in 20 states, burned cars and attacked businesses.

And "El Mencho" was the most wanted man not only in Mexico but also in the United States, and pressure from Washington became the mainstay of the current Mexican strategy against drug trafficking.

That is why it is not surprising that US official sources revealed to the Reuters news agency that the newly formed Joint Interagency Anti-Cartel Task Force (JIATF-CC) has "collaborated" with the Mexican army in operations against "El Mencho".

This information was also confirmed by Mexico's Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena).Cedena and Pentagon sources said the cooperation was based on providing "additional information" and that it was primarily a Mexican operation.

According to information from US authorities, the JIATF-CC was established just under a month ago as part of the US government's efforts to combat drug trafficking.

“The establishment of this team is part of a government-wide effort to identify, disrupt and dismantle cartel activity that poses a threat to the United States along the U.S.-Mexico border,” reads the official website of the U.S. Army Northern Command.

It is currently headed by Air Force General Maurizio Calabrese, who has experience in Europe and Africa, particularly in key intelligence units.

The new players were sworn in at a special ceremony in the border city of Tucson, Arizona.

Calabrese told Reuters that the US military is using its knowledge of groups such as al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) to track cartels.

“Cartels work differently than Al Qaeda or ISIS, with different motivations, which makes it even more important that we identify networks so we can dismantle and dismantle them,” he explained.

Books in Mexico

According to the Sinaloa Cartel, "El Mencho," as the 59-year-old drug lord is known, is the co-founder of the CJNG, an organization that has spread across the country in the past decade and become one of the most violent gangs.

The U.S. government offered $15 million for his capture, bringing the total in Mexico to $1.75 million, the highest in the bounty program.

Recently, the Donald Trump administration designated the CJNG as a terrorist organization, deeming it a "ruthless and violent cartel responsible for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and other illegal drugs" in the United States.

According to military sources, the creation of JIATF-CC in mid-January with an emphasis on intelligence, its main objective is to capture leaders of drug cartels operating in Mexico.

"JIATF-CC will work with the National Security Task Force to ensure that we share all intelligence between our Department of Defense, law enforcement and intelligence community partners," the portal noted.

The Mexican government accepted this type of cooperation, stating that the planning and execution of the operation included the work of central military intelligence and was carried out "in the framework of bilateral coordination and cooperation with the United States," which provided "additional information" critical to the intervention.

An official confirmed to Reuters that the United States has prepared a detailed package of targets around "El Mencho" through JIATF-CC, which was given to the Mexican government for the operation on Sunday.But he emphasized once again that the entire operation was carried out by the Mexican army.

For many security researchers, the creation of the JIATF-CC is an important step in the relationship between Mexico and the United States, especially after its president Donald Trump even considered attacks on Mexican territory to fight drug trafficking.

After the death of "El Mencho" was confirmed, US Vice President Christopher Landau said that "this is an important event for Mexico, the United States, Latin America and the world".

Since the creation of the JIATF-CC, it has benefited Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has rejected any direct intervention of US forces on Mexican soil, talking about a model of "non-subordinate coordination" with Washington on cooperation, security and other issues.

This action against "El Mencho" came as a surprise to those who believe that the Mexican government is focusing all its efforts on the Sinaloa cartel.

The death of Oseguerra on Sunday surprised security researchers and representatives of the Mexican government and the fight against the Sinaloa cartel to open a second front. The two companies are the most powerful in Mexico, and the weapons and personnel are often greater than the number of the government," says journalist Maria Abi-Habib in the New York Times.

De acuerdo con fuentes del Pentágono citadas por Reuters y el diario estadounidense, la presión del gobierno mexicano sobre el cartel sinaloense había llevado a la facción dirigida por "El Mencho" a aumentar el tráfico de fentanilo hacia EE.UU., que las autoridades estadounidenses lograron rastrear y que habría sido parte de la información básica para iniciar las acciones en contra del hombre "más buscado" por dos países.

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