Jalisco Cartel 'Likely' To Follow a U.S. Strategy From World War II Before Entering Ongoing Sinaloa Turf Wars

For more than five months, ongoing turf wars between "Los Chapitos" and "La Mayiza" for control of the Sinaloa cartel has taken a huge toll to both cliques. In an attempt to have the upper hand, the group led by the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán allegedly reached out to one of its fiercest rivals in the last few years: the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).

But according to a specialized Mexican journalist, the alliance between Chapitos and the CJNG has not materialized yet, opening the possibility that the cartel led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias "El Mencho" has not made a final decision regarding its role in the violent conflict.

In an interview with Infobae Mexico, investigative journalist David Saucedo said that the CJNG has already expanded to certain regions in northern Mexico such as Sonora, Baja California and Durango. Saucedo added that criminal cells of both groups have had significant clashes in Chiapas, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, Nayarit and Baja California, which makes him believe that the Jalisco cartel is waiting for the perfect moment to enter the conflict.

"It gives me the impression that the CJNG is just waiting to see more wear and tear from both Sinaloa cartel factions before siding with one of the cliques," he said.

During the interview, Saucedo compared the CJNG's strategy to that used by the United States during World War II. "They waited for Germany and Japan to show signs of wear and tear before joining the allies and coming out as the main winners," Saucedo said.

He added that the involvement of the Jalisco cartel would tip the balance in favor of Los Chapitos, leaving both groups as the most powerful drug trafficking organizations in Mexico. However, Saucedo points out, the CJNG is apparently waiting before entering the conflict in order to solidify their place as Mexico's top criminal group.

Mexican journalist Luis Chaparro argued in January that Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, son of El Chapo, met with a close subordinate El Mencho in Zapopan, Jalisco, where they allegedly agreed to a deal.

"They agreed to hand over territories that Los Chapitos controlled, especially around the U.S.-Mexico border, in exchange of firearms and soldiers in order to fight Los Mayos," Chaparro said. "They even talked about developing their own logo to distinguish their alliance," he added.

Despite rumors surfacing online around the alleged alliance, no developments have taken place to indicate that Chapitos and the CJNG are working with each other to push Los Mayos out of Sinaloa. "As of now there haven't been any new developments...no territories have been transferred to the Jalisco Cartel and CJNG people are yet to be seen operating in Sinaloa or Culiacán," Chaparro said last year.

Chapitos and CJNG met in Guadalajara

According to reports from Illicit Investigations, the first meeting between both criminal groups took place months before "Los Chapitos" broke away from "La Mayiza" in order to gain full control of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Audias Flores Silva, also known as "El Jardinero", met with Abidel Guzmán Araujo alias "El Gabacho" in Guadalajara in order to negotiate the alliance. As one of El Mencho's most trusted men, Flores Silva negotiated with Los Chapitos until they agreed to a deal.

As part of the alliance, Los Chapitos offered to guarantee the safety of one of the daughters of El Mencho while "Alfredillo" accepted to move to a ranch located in CJNG territory as part of the deal.

The gesture was interpreted as a sign of good faith which allowed the alliance to materialize into a more formal agreement. But as Chaparro reiterates, authorities are yet to see both criminal groups working together in Sinaloa.