Mexican Army Kills Top Drug Lord Amid Trump's Pressure; Nationwide Violence Erupts

The Mexican army carried out an operation on Sunday and killed El Mencho, the country's most prominent drug lord. Following this, arson and violence erupted across the country. Mencho's supporters have blocked highways and vandalized vehicles in retaliation.

He was injured during an army operation in the city of Tlapalla. He was being airlifted to Mexico City, but he died en route. In addition to Mencho, at least nine other criminals were killed in the operation.

According to a New York Times report, El Mencho was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The Jalisco Cartel is notorious for manufacturing and selling drugs in Mexico, extorting money from local businesses, and terrorizing people in many areas.

This cartel has a presence in all 50 US states. The US government had placed a bounty of ₹1.36 billion (US$1.3 billion) on El Mencho. US President Trump had been pressuring Mexico to take action against El Mencho for some time.

Such violent incidents have occurred before.

In Mexico, violent confrontations have occurred between the government and the cartel when a major cartel leader has been captured or killed. Often, power struggles erupt within the gang, further exacerbating the situation.

Experts say that before El Mencho's death, similar events occurred in the country during the arrest of Sinaola Cartel leader El Chapo in 2016 and the subsequent arrest of El Mayo in 2024.

In 2019, when El Chapo's son, Ovidio Guzmán, was captured, his henchmen held the city of Culiacán hostage for hours, forcing the government to release him. Therefore, there are fears that the situation could worsen.

It will now depend on whether the Jalisco Cartel has a clear new leader. If internal fighting erupts, the bloodshed could escalate further.

Trump was pressuring Mexico to take action.

The Jalisco Cartel (CJNG) was formed in 2009. Under the leadership of El Mencho, it became Mexico's largest drug network. It shipped cocaine, methamphetamine, and, in recent years, synthetic drugs like fentanyl to the United States.

According to a New York Times report, Mencho's death could improve relations between Mexico and the United States. US President Trump had been pressuring Mexico to take stronger action against the cartel.

Trump had warned that he might consider military action if strict measures were not taken. In February of this year, the Trump administration declared the cartel a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

The Mexican government has clearly stated that a US attack would violate the country's sovereignty, but cooperation between the two countries has increased at the intelligence level.

Drug Trafficking from Mexico to the United States

Mexico is considered the hub of the world's largest drug trafficking network, from where highly dangerous drugs like cocaine, heroin, meth, and fentanyl reach the United States. According to US agencies, the largest supply of drugs in the country is through Mexican cartels.

The United States is the world's largest drug market. Millions of people become addicted every year, and drugs like fentanyl cause thousands of deaths. The US government is under constant pressure to take strict action against drug trafficking, and therefore, it keeps an eye on the cartels in Mexico.

On the other hand, cartels have become so powerful in Mexico that in many areas they challenge the police and government. Armed gangs, intimidation, corruption, and violence often make even local authorities unable to stop them. Many cartels operate like shadow governments.

Trump has also threatened to eliminate drug cartels.

Following the Venezuelan crackdown, President Donald Trump threatened that his administration would soon launch actions targeting land-based drug cartels.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump claimed that drug cartels are taking control of Mexico and are causing the deaths of 250,000 to 300,000 people in the United States each year.

He stated that drug trafficking by sea has been stopped by 97%, so action will now be taken on land. However, he did not provide any further details about the plans.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has strongly responded to Trump's statements. Following Maduro's arrest, she stated that the United States does not own any territory.