The Gulf Cartel is one of Mexico’s oldest criminal groups, but it no longer operates as a unified organization. In this Profile:Recent Gulf Cartel NewsAn investigation by El País linked the Metros, a Gulf Cartel faction, to an extensive fuel smuggling network between Mexico and the United States, in which the Jalisco Cartel New Generation (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación – CJNG) also allegedly participated. What Is the History of the Gulf Cartel? The CJNG’s attempt to expand into the area has raised fears of further violence as it confronts the Gulf Cartel and the Zetas. The Gulf Cartel is a far cry from the organization it once was.