Intelligence Baseline: Mexican TCOs
Strategic assessment of Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) following major leadership shifts in 2024. Emphasis on the pivot to high-margin synthetic narcotics and decentralized “franchise” models.
■ Territorial Reach
The CJNG continues its aggressive national expansion, now present in 28+ states. In contrast, the Sinaloa Cartel maintains deep-rooted “plazas” in the Pacific corridor but faces severe internal instability following the arrest of high-value targets (HVTs).
Primary Rivalry
Structural Stability
Geographic Footprint: Operating States (Est. 2024)
Revenue Stream Decomposition
Source: Combined IC Financial Analysis Units
Synthetic Interdiction Trajectory
Data reflects Southwest Land Border Seizure Volumes
Transnational Logistics Framework
Cartels no longer operate in isolation. They function as the “mid-stream” logistics layer of a globalized criminal economy.
Intelligence Disciplines: Core Objectives
SIGINT
Intercepting encrypted comms across border regions and identifying command & control frequencies.
HUMINT
Penetrating mid-tier logistics networks and identifying corrupt facilitators at maritime ports.
GEOINT
Mapping lab signatures, illegal airstrips, and persistent surveillance of border crossing nodes.
FININT
Tracking Trade-Based Money Laundering (TBML) and identifying high-volume crypto-shuffling nodes.
CYBINT
Exploiting Dark Web marketplaces for precursors and tracking cartel-affiliated hackers.
OSINT
Scraping social media for HVT geolocations, weaponry, and recruitment narratives.