Infamous Jalisco Cartel of Mexico Is Trying to Establish Base of Operations in Washington State

The infamous Jalisco cartel of Mexico is reportedly trying to build a lethal empire in Washington state, police said.

According to KOMO News, the Yakima Police Department said the Jalisco cartel has already made its way to Washington and is now working to establish a base of operations in Yakima city.

The police department, Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives noted that they were "vigilantly trying to stop" the Mexican drug cartel's operations in Yakima.

Homeland Security's special agent Robert Hammer said the cartel members were very violent, whether in murders, torturing, or the dismemberment of bodies, and "that is how they thrive."

The Jalisco cartel is reportedly spreading across the United States, establishing a base of operations in 28 states. Hammer said drug cartel was "a business," and its members were looking for "places to operate their business that they feel that they can grab a stronghold."

He noted that the cartel was looking for many customers as possible and looking to introduce fentanyl to U.S. communities. Hammer said the overdose numbers that the Pacific Northwest sees speak to "the plague and the flood that has occurred."

Jalisco Cartel of Mexico in Washington State

In August, a man in Washington state was charged with his alleged involvement in an international drug trafficking organization linked to the Jalisco cartel.

Jose Elias Barbosa, 37, of Kent, Washington, admitted in a plea agreement to be one of the leaders of the DTO, a transnational drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine in the coastal area of the Pacific Northwest in Washington.

Fox News reported that the DTO was linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) of Mexico. Prosecutors said the DTO received a shipment of liquid methamphetamine concealed in candles in November 2019.

Prosecutors noted that Barbosa allegedly helped the group's members extract the methamphetamine and cook it into crystal form at a Port Orchard location in Washington.

In a press statement, the Justice Department said Barbosa distributed at least 55 pounds of methamphetamine and 600 grams of heroin and fentanyl throughout West Washington and elsewhere.

Law enforcement admitted that it's still a long journey before the end of putting all the cartel members behind bars. But Hammer said they had already started doing multiple arrests and search warrants across the region.

Mexico's Jalisco Cartel

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is reportedly operating not just in Mexico but internationally as well. U.S. officials noted that the cartel controls the movement of more than a third of all drugs consumed in the U.S. and has expanded into Europe and Asia, The Washington Post reported.

According to authorities, the Jalisco cartel is known for making mass graves, kidnappings, acid baths, and video recording beheadings. The CJNG had risen to power after former Sinaloa Cartel capo Ignacio Coronel, known as "Nacho," was killed in July 2010 by Mexican security forces.

Nacho's death resulted in the split of the Sinaloa Cartel into two factions - "La Resistencia" and "Torcidos." The "Torcidos" became what is now the Jalisco cartel, which has since expanded rapidly in Mexico.

Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, who currently heads the Jalisco cartel, continues to evade capture, and the U.S. government offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest. He remains to be the most elusive criminal, and he is reportedly hiding in Mexico.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Mexican Cartel Smuggling Illicit Fentanyl Is Biggest Threat to Washington State - From Fox 13 Seattle