In recent months, merchants in the municipality of Chimalhuacán, State of Mexico, have reported being harassed by a criminal cell of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG). This group, known as Fuerzas Especiales Mencho (FEM), allegedly demands large sums of money from local business owners in exchange for ‘protection.’ Those who refuse are threatened with death.
Journalist Carlos Jiménez reported that owners of a tortilla shop in the Barrio Fundidores neighborhood posted videos showing alleged members of this criminal group attacking their establishment on two occasions.
One of the videos, which recently went viral on X (formerly Twitter), captures the moment a masked man throws a Molotov cocktail into the tortilla shop, where three people were present. This attack supposedly occurred after the owners refused to pay the demanded fee.
Although the attack occurred on June 2, 2024, Jiménez revealed that the merchants were first contacted by the CJNG cell in October 2023.
In collaboration with journalist Jonathan Loyo, Jiménez reported that the CJNG demands a monthly payment of 10,000 pesos from Chimalhuacán merchants in exchange for protection. While the criminal organization claims this fee is for “travel expenses,” those who refuse to pay are threatened with death.
If the business owners agree to pay, the criminal cell places a sticker on the outside of the business, displaying the words “Special Forces” along with their symbol.
According to documents from the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena), this criminal cell is responsible for providing protection to Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias ‘El Mencho,’ and their presence had previously been recorded only in Jalisco and Michoacán.
However, it appears that they have now extended their illicit activities to the Valley of Mexico.