Day 27 Post-Mencho: CJNG Retains National Footprint; García Harfuch Warns Organization Remains Dangerous

Day 27 since El Mencho's killing at Tapalpa, Jalisco (February 22, 2026). Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch publicly stated that 'el CJNG es una organización criminal que opera en todo el país' — acknowledging the cartel retains a full national operational footprint despite the loss of its founder and multiple senior commanders. This assessment is consistent with CJNG's franchise model, which was designed to survive leadership decapitation. Mexico's post-Tapalpa pressure campaign continues: 37+ high-value targets arrested or killed since February 22. O3 (Juan Carlos Valencia González) remains the reported successor but consolidation is still incomplete with El Jardinero controlling key regional plazas. International dimensions of the CJNG threat continue to expand: DOJ proceedings documented an international weapons-trafficking network — involving a Bulgarian intermediary — that sought to supply CJNG with military-grade equipment including missiles and explosives, highlighting the cartel's ongoing efforts to upgrade its paramilitary capacity during the succession period.