Mexican Cartels’ Alleged Links to Türkiye: Examining the Evidence

The death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the notorious drug lord known as “El Mencho,” marks a significant turning point in Mexico’s battle against organized crime. As the longtime leader of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), Oseguera Cervantes had established himself as one of the most powerful and feared figures in Mexico’s criminal underworld.

Mexican authorities, working in collaboration with American intelligence, have framed his killing as a major victory in the cross-border fight against drug trafficking organizations. The operation has delivered both practical and symbolic blows to the CJNG, theoretically weakening its command structure and signaling government resolve to dismantle cartel leadership.

However, questions remain about whether eliminating El Mencho will produce lasting structural changes within Mexico’s complex criminal landscape or simply create a power vacuum that other ambitious figures will rush to fill.

The global reach of CJNG’s operations was recently highlighted in research published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). Their widely circulated map outlines the international supply chains connected to Mexico’s two dominant cartels – CJNG and the Cartel de Sinaloa – revealing a sprawling network that spans multiple continents.

This map has generated particular interest in Türkiye, which appears among the global nodes linked to CJNG’s procurement networks. The inclusion has sparked debate about potential connections between Mexican cartels and illegal organizations operating within Türkiye.

Political analyst Talya Iscan urges caution when interpreting these connections. “It is important to approach this issue with analytical caution and avoid drawing conclusions that overstate or mischaracterize the nature of the relationship,” she noted in comments to Türkiye Today.

Iscan emphasizes that the IISS map illustrates illicit commercial routes used by cartels to obtain precursor chemicals rather than depicting formal channels or institutional relationships. This distinction is crucial for understanding how criminal networks operate within legitimate global trade systems without necessarily implying political alignment or coordination.

For Türkiye specifically, the references in such reports typically concern the alleged sourcing or transit of dual-use chemical precursors – substances that serve legitimate industrial purposes but can be diverted for manufacturing synthetic drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Importantly, this does not suggest any political, diplomatic, or institutional connection between the Turkish government and Mexican cartels. Instead, it reflects criminal actors exploiting regulatory gaps, trade vulnerabilities, and insufficient monitoring mechanisms in international chemical markets.

Countries may appear on trafficking maps for various reasons unrelated to intentional involvement. Iscan identifies several mechanisms through which this occurs: transit routes passing through a nation’s territory, diversion of goods through third parties, mislabeling of shipments, and weak enforcement in certain commercial sectors.

Curious evidence emerged in 2020 when unusual footage began circulating on social media that appeared to show cross-continental exchanges between Turkish ultra-nationalist elements and one of Mexico’s notorious criminal organizations. Videos featured individuals performing the “Grey Wolf” salute in tribute to the Sinaloa Cartel, while alleged cartel members were seen brandishing weapons while playing Turkish marches.

While official confirmation regarding these social media interactions remains absent, the footage has fueled speculation about limited collaboration between the cartel and local actors within Türkiye.

Dr. Canan Tercan, an international relations expert, offers broader context on the cartels’ expanding influence. “This organization is not only active in Latin America; it is also highly influential along the drug corridors spanning Afghanistan and Iran. They operate through a massive franchise system that encompasses Africa and Europe,” Tercan explains.

With annual revenues reportedly exceeding $3 billion and total assets estimated at $50 billion, the CJNG’s economic power rivals that of major multinational corporations.

Türkiye’s status as a transit country appears to be shifting, with some indications of growing domestic consumption. Laurent Laniel from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction noted that alongside large shipments, Türkiye has witnessed 3,000 smaller seizures in recent years. “This indicates that Türkiye is becoming a consumer country for the substance,” Laniel observed. “Ten years ago, this was not the case.” However, these figures remain substantially lower than those in many European countries.

In the aftermath of El Mencho’s death, the central challenge for authorities worldwide lies in addressing the structural vulnerabilities that criminal networks exploit. While removing cartel leadership delivers symbolic victories, sustainable progress will require coordinated international efforts to close regulatory gaps and strengthen enforcement mechanisms across global supply chains.