El Mencho’s Killing: US–Mexico Operation and the Risk of Cartel Realignment

The elimination of the head of the Jalisco Cartel during a joint operation by the United States and Mexico places the country on the brink of a vast redivision of spheres of influence and even the risk of civil conflict. The Jalisco Cartel as a State Within a State The killed leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, headed what many observers describe as a "state within a state.” The cartel is said to wield power at the municipal level in nearly all states bordering the United States, relying on judges, police officers, officials, prosecutors, business figures, and many others allegedly bought or influenced to support and shield its activities. Control over this "state,” according to such characterizations, is maintained by its own well-armed forces, reportedly equipped with rocket systems, armored vehicles, and drones.