Will the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” the head of the Jalisco Cartel New Generation, end the cartel he led? What was different about how this kingpin capture went down? And is this a new chapter in Mexico’s criminal landscape, and the region’s drug war? Watch On the Radar to find out.
Transcript
| Will the killing of El Mencho end the CJNG? What was different about how this kingpin capture went down? Is this a new chapter in Mexico’s and the region’s drug war? Find out in this week’s special edition of On The Radar. |
| Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as El Mencho, was killed by Mexico’s military on February 22, sending shockwaves through the country and its underworld. The leader of the Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG) was one of the most powerful and feared drug lords in the world, with more than four decades in the drug business. |
| The violent reaction to El Mencho’s killing shows what a blow this was to the CJNG, but his death won’t mean the end of the group. We have seen it time and time again in Mexico’s drug war: The succession process detonated by El Mencho’s death could generate major violence, like we have seen in Sinaloa since the arrest of the one of its top drug lords, Ismael ‘El Mayo ‘ Zambada, in July 2024. |
| What did feel different about this takedown? The amount of disinformation that flooded social media. AI images like the ones you see here and recycled footage exaggerated the violence. While some was clearly AI, much of it – particularly real images that were subtly modified or old footage from other parts of the world – required time to debunk. In the meantime, it amplified the real fears of people living in Mexico. Mexico’s criminal organizations have embraced the digital frontline of the drug war, using online propaganda to sow fear and terror even when their ‘in real life’ presence might not live up to their digital imagery. Some of this fake news was spread by troll accounts looking to take advantage of algorithms and get clicks, one expert consulted by InSight Crime said. |
| And as for this being a new chapter in Mexico’s drug war? As media coverage and interest begins to die down, it’s going to be business as usual for organized crime in the region. The CJNG has alliances around Latin America, especially in Guatemala, Colombia, and Ecuador, that help the group move cocaine through Mexico. El Mencho’s death may have a temporary impact on some of these relationships. But their decentralized, highly adaptable nature assures that cocaine will keep flowing. |
| That’s it from us this week – don’t miss out on our extensive coverage of El Mencho’s chapter, in which you can find the top hotspots to watch in the succession process, deep profiles of both El Mencho and the crime group he led, as well as why history tells us that we need more than kingpin takedowns to kill organized crime.
See you next week. |