After the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel was killed by Mexico's Armed Forces, the figure of his successor is emerging silently
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In the internal reshuffle of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) after the fall of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias "El Mencho", one name has begun to gain prominence in intelligence reports: Abraham Jesús Ambriz Cano, known as "El Yogurt".
At 29 years of age, this operator from Michoacán is identified by federal authorities as one of the main regional chiefs of the criminal group and as responsible for an armed structure with a presence in the western and southeastern regions of the country.
Born on March 16, 1997, in Apatzingán, Michoacán, Ambriz Cano began his criminal career in the ranks of Los Viagras, an organization that was part of Cárteles Unidos (CU), a bloc that confronted CJNG in the Tierra Caliente region.
During that stage, he maintained close ties with local leaders such as Luis Barragán Chávez, alias "El R5", from the Los Reyes group. However, around 2022 he made a strategic shift by changing sides and joining CJNG.
Abraham Jesús Ambriz Cano, alias ''El Ypgurt'', sería el nuevo líder del CJNG
According to security cabinet reports, his incorporation did not respond solely to his skills as the chief of an armed cell, but also to his ability to develop and strengthen drug trafficking routes to the United States.
That logistical specialization is believed to have earned him the task of coordinating trafficking operations in key states such as Jalisco and Colima, in addition to maintaining an operational presence in Quintana Roo and the mountainous strip of Michoacán bordering Jalisco and Colima.
Within CJNG, "El Yogurt" heads a cell linked to the so-called Mencho Special Forces (FEM), identified as Operativa Yogurt, also known as "Los Yogures" or "Yoghuriza".
Under his command operate armed groups with specialized training, who are credited with the use of advanced tactical equipment and high-powered weaponry. Authorities consider him one of the main generators of violence in the sierra-coast region of Michoacán.
One of the elements that distinguishes his structure is the alleged incorporation of former foreign military personnel. Various federal reports indicate that CJNG has recruited former members of the armed forces of Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to strengthen its operational capacity.
In the case of Ambriz Cano's cell, he is credited with the hiring of former Colombian and Guatemalan soldiers, taking advantage of their experience in combat, logistics, and intelligence, financed with resources derived from drug trafficking.
The episode that consolidated his notoriety occurred on May 18, 2025, when special forces of the Navy, in coordination with the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), deployed an operation by land and air in the community of Huitzontla, municipality of Chinicuila, Michoacán.
El CJNG contrató a distintos ex militares de Guatemala, Colombia, Honduras y El Salvador, así como las fuerzas especiales lideradas por ''El Yogurt''
The intervention replied to citizen complaints that indicated the presence of "El Yogurt" in a mining area of difficult access, accompanied by a highly trained armed group and equipped with high-caliber weapons and explosives.
During the operation, naval personnel were attacked with high-powered fire. The confrontation left 12 CJNG members killed, three marines wounded, and nine people arrested.
At the site, authorities seized improvised explosives, weapons, tactical equipment, uniforms, and berets bearing the legend "Fuerzas Especiales Mencho. Operativa Yogurt". Nevertheless, despite the deployment and the losses suffered by his cell, Ambriz Cano managed to escape along with a small group of men.
''El Yogurt'' sobrevivió a una redada llevada a cabo por la Marina de México en 2025, lo cual elevó su estatus dentro del cártel
His survival of that operation, considered one of the most significant blows against his structure, reinforced his image within CJNG as an operator with the capacity for reorganization and resilience.
Despite the loss of key members, he maintained a presence in the strategic strip that connects Michoacán, Jalisco, and Colima, a corridor that is essential for drug trafficking and territorial control.
Official reports have also documented the participation of former foreign military personnel in recent clashes in Michoacán and other states, which confirms a pattern of collaboration that has raised the tactical level of some CJNG cells.
Although there is no official confirmation about this succession at the top of the criminal group, the name of Abraham Jesús Ambriz Cano appears with increasing frequency in security reports.
El control de la franja de Michoacán, Jalisco y Colima han sido un hito clave en las operaciones logísticas del cártel
