2009 – The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is founded, later becoming one of Mexico’s most powerful drug‑trafficking organizations and a major source of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine for the United States [2].

2020 – CJNG attempts a high‑profile attack on Mexico’s public‑security secretary Omar García Harfuch, signaling the group’s willingness to use “total war” tactics against the state [1].

2020 – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Drug Threat Assessment maps CJNG influence from New York to Los Angeles and across almost all 50 states, confirming its deep penetration of the American drug market [3].

Feb 2025 – The U.S. State Department designates CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, joining a short list of the world’s most dangerous criminal groups and paving the way for expanded counter‑terror tools [1][3].

Feb 2025 – The U.S. National Counterterrorism Center notes the FTO designation and warns that CJNG’s transnational operations threaten U.S. public health, safety and national security [2].

Feb 22, 2026 – Mexican military forces raid a safe house in Tapalpa, wounding CJNG founder Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (“El Mencho”) who later dies while being air‑lifted to Mexico City, ending the cartel’s long‑standing leadership [2][3].

Feb 22‑23, 2026 – U.S. consular officials issue shelter‑in‑place alerts for American citizens in Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Ciudad Guzmán, Tijuana, Chiapas and Michoacán, urging travelers to avoid law‑enforcement zones after the raid [3].

Feb 23, 2026 – The U.S. Treasury sanctions the Puerto Vallarta resort Kovay Gardens and 22 associated entities for operating a cartel‑run timeshare fraud that has siphoned roughly $330 million from U.S. retirees, highlighting CJNG’s diversification into elder fraud and crypto payments [4].

Feb 23‑24, 2026 – CJNG launches a wave of retaliation: more than 250 roadblocks are erected across 20 Mexican states, supermarkets are set ablaze, bodies are displayed in streets, and public killings surge, illustrating the breadth of the unrest [2].

Feb 24, 2026 – Violent clashes erupt in Mexicali and Chiapas as CJNG and Sinaloa factions contest migrant‑smuggling corridors, expanding a front of conflict that now spans over 20 states [1].

Feb 24, 2026 – A succession crisis looms within CJNG; with El Mencho’s son imprisoned in the U.S., his wife jailed in Mexico, and two brothers incarcerated, four senior commanders are poised to battle for control [1].

Feb 24, 2026 – Analysts warn the cartel’s instability could trigger a regional domino effect, sparking competition over drug routes in Ecuador and Colombia and reshaping criminal dynamics across South America [1].

2026 – Jalisco records 12,576 missing persons, the third‑highest disappearance count in Mexico, while sociologist Jorge Ramírez declares “CJNG’s role in these disappearances undeniable,” underscoring a deepening humanitarian crisis [2].

2026 – Amnesty International alerts that Mexico faces a “serious crisis of disappearances” tied to cartel‑related violence, raising concerns about future security conditions [2].

2026 – Chainalysis links CJNG to large‑scale purchases of bitcoin and stablecoins used to pay manufacturers of synthetic‑opioid precursors, tying the cartel’s drug trade to hard‑to‑trace digital finance [4].

2026 – White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Attorney General Pamela Bondi label CJNG a “narcoterrorist,” calling for the application of counter‑terrorism tools against the organization [4].