DEA Surge Against CJNG Nets Fentanyl, Millions in Cash, Guns

The Drug Enforcement Administration announced Monday it seized fentanyl, counterfeit pills, millions in cash, and hundreds of guns while making 670 arrests during a week-long surge against the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

From Sept. 22–26, DEA agents across 23 U.S. field divisions and seven foreign regions carried out coordinated enforcement actions. The operation netted:

92.4 kg of fentanyl powder
1.1 million counterfeit pills
6,062 kg of methamphetamine
22,842 kg of cocaine
33 kg of heroin
244 firearms
$18.6 million in cash and $29.7 million in assets

DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said CJNG remains one of the world’s most violent cartels, calling the crackdown part of a broader strategy to treat the group as a terrorist organization.

“Every arrest, every seizure, and every dollar stripped from CJNG represents lives saved and communities protected,” Cole said.

President Donald Trump designated CJNG and several other cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) in February, giving prosecutors expanded powers to pursue cartel leaders. Earlier this month, a similar surge targeted the Sinaloa Cartel, resulting in even larger fentanyl seizures and 420 guns removed from circulation.

The DEA warns both CJNG and Sinaloa cartels remain the dominant drug threats, relying on chemical supply chains from China and India to sustain global fentanyl production.