The Journal. Inside Mexico's Decision to Take Down a Drug Lord
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Feb 25, 2026 
José De Córdoba, a Mexico-based Wall Street Journal correspondent who covers cartels and security, breaks down the fallout from El Mencho’s killing. He discusses how authorities tracked and raided the boss, the cartel’s international trafficking methods, nationwide violent retaliation, and the risky power struggle likely to follow.
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El Mencho's Unexpected Fall Shook Mexico
- El Mencho was seen as too powerful to fall, making his death a surprising destabilizer for Mexico's security landscape.
- José de Córdoba explains his rise from a deported former cop to head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel with pervasive local control.
Mistress Delivery Led To The Raid
- Mexican intelligence tracked a person delivering a mistress to El Mencho and used that link to locate him for the raid.
- The operation in Tapalpa involved drones, combat helicopters, heavily armed soldiers, and a five-hour firefight.
Cartel Retaliation Used Widespread Arson And Roadblocks
- The Jalisco cartel launched coordinated chaos after Mencho's death, setting fires and blocking roads across states to show the government they must be reckoned with.
- They lit about 252 fires or roadblocks in 20 states, forcing school closures and widespread disruption.