Trump has urged Sheinbaum to intensify the fight against drug cartels. The killing of El Mencho showed that such measures can work, but at a high cost. Sheinbaum, who led one of the most decisive operations against drug cartels in the last decade, allowed for the elimination of the most wanted criminal in the country, relying on information obtained from the U.S.
“It is unclear whether she wanted to go this far… This puts significant pressure on her administration, and now the question arises as to how well the Mexican government will be able to cope with the consequences,” comments Mexican political analyst Carlos Bravo Regidor, who studies the relations between Mexico and the U.S.
As with the mythical Hydra, the elimination of one cartel leader often leads to the emergence of many others.
The killing of El Mencho triggered a wave of violence, including shootouts, arson, and roadblocks across the country. Mexicans expect an increase in violence as competing groups seek to fill the vacated niche and confront the government. This is not the first time Mexico has faced such a cycle of violence.
The Mexican police are searching for inmates who escaped from a prison in Puerto Vallarta as a result of attacks by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) on Sunday.
Puerto Vallarta, a well-known resort on the Pacific coast, also became a site where CJNG militants blocked roads and burned vehicles in response to the killing of their leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," by security forces.
According to local authorities, during the chaos, armed individuals broke down the gates of one of the prisons, allowing 23 inmates to escape.
As a result of the operation to capture El Mencho and subsequent clashes, more than 70 people were killed, including 25 members of the National Guard.
El Mencho was considered the most wanted criminal in Mexico. Under his leadership, CJNG became a powerful transnational criminal organization, spreading beyond its stronghold in Jalisco to other regions of the country, engaged in the production and distribution of drugs.
The organization often employs extremely violent methods and is responsible for numerous attacks on security forces and government structures.
The Trump administration identified El Mencho as a "key target for the Mexican and American governments," as he is one of the main traffickers of fentanyl in the U.S., and offered a reward of $15 million for information leading to his capture.
The drug lord was arrested by Mexican authorities in Tapalpa, Jalisco, on Sunday.
The Mexican Defense Minister reported that he was captured by tracking one of his "romantic partners."
He died shortly after his arrest from injuries sustained during a shootout between his guards and Mexican special forces, who were sent to capture him.
