“El Mencho”’s Death Will Test Mexico’s Meager State
The perennially under-resourced government may struggle to contain spiraling violence following the demise of a cartel leader.
The death of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera is many things: A product of greater Mexico-U.S. cooperation, a motive for a potential truce between Donald Trump and Claudia Sheinbaum, and the most consequential operation against organized crime in years. But above all, it will be a test of Mexico’s comparatively small state — and whether it has the resources and skill to prevent yet another spiral of nationwide violence in the weeks ahead. The Mexican military operation that resulted in Oseguera’s death was only the latest decisive action against the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación...
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