The Mexican Army has killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a powerful thug named “El Mencho.” The cartel responded with wanton violence that brought the country to a standstill. Both Mexico and the United States deserve credit for fighting the war on drugs as if it were an actual war. And now it’s up to both to stay the course.
On Feb. 22, the Mexican military carried out a raid in the state of Jalisco. Aided by U.S. intelligence and reportedly trained by U.S. special forces, Mexican commandos killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, nicknamed “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The retaliation that followed was massive.
CJNG murdered more than two dozen Mexican soldiers and set up an estimated 250 roadblocks across multiple states. Cartel henchmen set fire to pharmacies and convenience stores, leading to “shelter in place” orders from U.S. and Mexican governments. More than two hundred flights were canceled, and dozens of schools were closed. By day’s end, no fewer than 60 people were reported dead.
The footage of burned-out buildings, mangled bodies, and broken roads received international attention. This, no doubt, was CJNG’s intention. The cartel hopes to showcase both its displeasure and its power.
Yet the mass violence in Mexico testifies to something else: The clear and present danger that cartels present to the U.S.
The rise of synthetic narcotics has been a boon to transnational criminal organizations such as the CJNG. And it has been a cancer to both the U.S. and Mexico. The reach and capabilities of organizations such as CJNG have grown while thousands of Americans have died from the poison that they export. Many modern cartels operate more like corporations, with assets rivaling those of smaller nation-states.
Indeed, in huge swaths of Mexico, cartels are the state. They are larger, more powerful, and better equipped than ever before. There are entire geographic areas where you can’t go without their permission.
The politicians that they can’t buy off, they murder. In 2024, there were no fewer than 200 assassinations of political leaders. In May of 2025, two top aides to the mayor of Mexico City, one of the largest cities in the world, were murdered. Mexico has one of the highest murder rates in the world.
For Mexico, the violence and corruption are corrosive. For its neighbor to the north, it is a danger that can no longer be tolerated or overlooked.
The U.S. and Mexico share a nearly 2,000-mile border and trade an estimated $840 billion worth of goods and services. It simply isn’t sustainable to have transnational criminal organizations next door, effectively running much of the country. The dangers are particularly acute when one considers that many cartels have links to other foes, from Islamist terrorist groups such as Hezbollah to China’s People’s Liberation Army.
In early February 2026, drones piloted by cartels reportedly forced the temporary closure of a major U.S. airport in El Paso. According to the Department of Homeland Security, there were no fewer than 60,000 drone flights by cartels in the second half of 2024 alone.
Unfortunately, the perilous situation on the southern border was aided by the Biden administration’s foolish border policies, which gave the cartels an open door and lined their pockets. The time to act was yesterday.
The Trump administration has rightly prioritized fighting the cartels and securing the Western Hemisphere. The security of the U.S. demands nothing less.
In early February, Mexico’s Senate approved the entry of U.S. special forces for “training operations” with their Mexican counterparts. Presumably, these politicians did so knowing that some might incur the wrath of cartels. Their decision, and that of Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, to cooperate should be commended.
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Cooperation is key to restoring Mexico’s sovereignty and securing the U.S.’s borders. This makes Sheinbaum’s comments after the raid all the more troubling. Mexico’s president said that “returning to the war” against cartels is “not an option” and is “outside the law.” It could, she warned, lead Mexico to become “authoritarian.”
But wars are not one-sided. Cartels have been waging war on the U.S. and Mexico for decades. Not fighting back is no longer an option.