The Mexican drug cartel infiltrating Kenya

By Newsflash Writer

Kenyan authorities are quietly confronting a growing threat from one of Mexico’s most notorious drug trafficking syndicates—the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)—as fresh details emerge about its expanding footprint in East Africa.

Recent developments, including the arrest of Elisha Odhiambo Asumo, a Kenyan businessman allegedly tied to cross-border arms trafficking, and the discovery of a methamphetamine lab in Namanga near the Tanzanian border, point to deliberate attempts by CJNG to establish a stronghold in the region.

Despite mounting evidence, the Mexican Embassy in Nairobi has declined to speak on the cartel’s suspected operations in Kenya. However, it acknowledged providing consular support as permitted under international agreements.

“In regard to the alleged involvement of a Mexican national in criminal activities in Kenya, the embassy cannot comment on an ongoing trial. However, within the framework of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, of which both Mexico and Kenya are part, the embassy keeps providing the requested consular assistance,” it stated.

CJNG is a violent transnational crime syndicate that broke away from the Sinaloa Cartel following leadership disputes and arrests. Headed by Nemesio Oseguera Ramos, also known as “El Mencho,” the group is infamous for its brutality and global reach. El Mencho remains one of the world’s most wanted criminals, with the U.S. government offering a $10 million (about KSh1.2 billion) reward for information leading to his capture. The cartel’s criminal portfolio includes methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine trafficking, in addition to fuel theft, extortion, human smuggling, and domination of key Mexican ports facilitating global trade routes.

Arrests in Kenya link CJNG to wider African network

The U.S. and international law enforcement agencies have linked Mr. Asumo to CJNG. He was apprehended on April 8, 2025, in Marrakesh, Morocco, based on an Interpol diffusion notice—an alert issued to track wanted individuals across borders. Asumo faces two criminal charges in the U.S.: conspiracy to unlawfully import narcotics and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Both offences carry potential life sentences.

Investigations show that between 2022 and 2024, Asumo coordinated illicit arms deliveries and produced fraudulent end-user certificates, including one allegedly issued in Tanzania. In early 2023, he is said to have met with CJNG emissaries in South Africa to organize logistics. Efforts to confirm whether he has been extradited from Morocco remain inconclusive.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Kenyan authorities apprehended Israel Alvarado Vera, a former Mexican police officer and suspected CJNG member, after uncovering a meth lab in Namanga in September 2024. Vera initially escaped but was later rearrested. He allegedly supervised drug manufacturing intended for export. A Kenyan woman and two Nigerian nationals were arrested with him.

Authorities have since linked the lab to a broader international drug network operating in Nigeria, Gabon, South Africa, Brazil, and Mexico. The operation is reportedly run by a fugitive who is believed to have fled to Uganda.