Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Chile: Prosecutors Prepare Trial Against Two Alleged Members Linked to Criminal Organization Operating in O’Higgins Region

Original article: Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación en Chile: Fiscalía prepara juicio contra 2 presuntos integrantes de la organización criminal que operaban en la región de O’Higgins

Amidst the international uproar following a military operation in Mexico targeting the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), the Regional Prosecutor’s Office of Antofagasta is gearing up to conduct an oral trial against two individuals allegedly connected to this criminal organization for offenses committed in Chile.

These are two Mexican nationals apprehended by the OS7 unit of Carabineros in January 2025, on a property located in the Lolol area of the O’Higgins Region, where the suspects had established a clandestine laboratory for the synthesis and production of crystal methamphetamine.

«During their arrest, authorities seized 844 kilograms of the drug, along with chemicals and other essential items for processing the product, which had entered Chile weeks prior by sea, concealed in paint cans on a vessel arriving from the Port of Manzanillo, Mexico,» stated the Prosecutor’s Office.

Following an investigation that lasted nearly two years and utilized various special tactics under Law 20,000, both defendants were charged last week by the SACFI unit of the Prosecutor’s Office with drug trafficking, illegal drug manufacturing, possession of precursor chemicals, and organized crime, for which the Public Ministry is seeking a cumulative prison sentence of 35 years for each individual.

«Currently, the Prosecutor’s Office is awaiting the scheduling of the oral trial preparation hearing, where the parties will discuss the forensic, testimonial, and documentary evidence to be presented in the actual trial,» officials from the prosecutor’s office detailed.

The Investigation

The Regional Prosecutor of Antofagasta, Juan Castro Bekios, who led the operation leading to the apprehension of the suspects in Lolol, explained that the investigation began when they became aware that a Mexican criminal group was planning to establish Chile as a new hub for the reception, processing, synthesis, and storage of crystal meth for their markets in Asia and Oceania.

«To fulfill this objective, the suspects initially sent a sample of the drug concealed in a vehicle part to Chile, and later traveled to our country to finalize operational details, such as sale price, logistics, and the location of the clandestine laboratory for drug extraction,» the prosecutor indicated.

Initially, the plan was to set up the laboratory in Antofagasta: «In fact, the sample of the drug sent was dispatched to Antofagasta, but later the plans shifted to finding a property in the rural area of the O’Higgins Region,» the regional prosecutor noted.

In this context, in September 2024, a shipment from the port of Manzanillo in Mexico was confirmed to Chile, containing a pallet with 36 plastic buckets used for paint, which held the diluted drug that would later be extracted at the illegal laboratory.

«This operation culminated on January 9, 2025, when a comprehensive effort led by officials from OS7, GOPE, LABOCAR, the Police Air Prefecture, and RPAS resulted in the arrest of both Mexicans in the act of extracting the illicit substance in the laboratory,» added Prosecutor Castro Bekios.

Regarding the connection to the CJNG, the Public Ministry commented that the type of drugs involved, the nationality of the defendants, and the fact that the route used originated from the port of Manzanillo all support the hypothesis of this Mexican criminal group’s participation in these crimes.

«The Port of Manzanillo has been linked numerous times to the activities of the CJNG; indeed, several anti-narcotics agencies believe this criminal group exerts control over this port for the receipt and shipping of drugs and precursor chemicals,» emphasized the regional prosecutor of Antofagasta.

Additionally, other evidence gathered during the investigation suggests that the operation neutralized in Chile was a «first attempt» by the CJNG to establish a new hub for exporting synthetic drugs to distant markets.

Prosecutor Castro Bekios highlighted that information indeed indicates that various criminal groups, not just Mexican ones, may be seeking new routes to transport their products from the shores of the South Pacific, which are less monitored and provide a more direct path to markets in Asia and Oceania, where synthetic drug prices soar.

Finally, the prosecutor emphasized the investigative work conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office and OS7, with support from Directemar and Customs, which enabled them to detect the organization’s plans early on and gather evidence that will be presented in the upcoming oral trial.

El Ciudadano