Mexico's Fastest-Rising Cartel Trying to Establish Foothold in US: Feds

A notorious Mexican drug cartel is attempting to gain a foothold in the Seattle area and the Pacific Northwest, according to federal drug investigators.

Mexican criminal group the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, has been on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's radar in recent years, and now, officials from the Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations say its operations extend nationwide, with notable activity in Washington state.

Mexico's fastest-rising cartel has a presence in at least 20 Mexican states, as well as Mexico City, with its base of operations in Jalisco and Colima.

DHS officials say the cartel is currently the primary group behind a drive to bring illicit fentanyl into the United States.

Robert Hammer, the special agent-in-charge with the DHS' principal investigative arm, told KOMO News that the cartel is "a huge threat to the stability" of the Seattle area and the Pacific Northwest.

CJNG, Hammer continued, is trafficking fentanyl not only in the Seattle region but in middle Washington and Southeast Washington.

"It's not limited to just downtown Seattle. This is really a regional problem that we've seen with the cartel activity and its requiring a multi-faceted approach by law enforcement to get after it."

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mexicos-fastest-rising-cartel-trying-to-establish-foothold-in-us-feds_3809111.html