©picture alliance / NurPhoto | Gerardo Vieyra
Mexico's most wanted drug lord, El Mencho', or Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, has been killed in a military operation. The move is considered far from out of the blue; it follows Trump's mounting pressure on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to crack down on drug trafficking. In fact, the United States had already warned that it might intervene itself if Mexico did not act more aggressively against the cartels. And so it did, but at what cost?
The day after El Mencho' s death - the last of the great drug lords who managed to turn tiny gangs of smugglers into criminal multinationals - Mexico was left bewildered, in the midst of a wave of unprecedented violence: closed schools, canceled flights and a halted soccer championship, with a frankly dramatic balance sheet: at least 26 dead, including a woman in the third month of her pregnancy and 17 policemen and members of the National Guard. The figures show not just the ferocity of the fighting, but also the climate of instability that various parts of the country are currently facing.
The effects are being felt far beyond the sites of the clashes. Several airlines have suspended flights to Mexico. In several districts, classes in schools have been halted and some soccer matches have been canceled. Guatemala, meanwhile, has tightened controls along the border.
When violence escalates in this way, it's always ultimately the local communities that pay the highest price: families torn apart, economic activities affected, areas where the social fabric is further degraded.
The words of President Claudia Sheinbaum
The presidente of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, shared a message via social media to reassure the population: she spoke of "full coordination with the governments of all the states" and called for people to remain well informed and calm. She stated that the Security Cabinet's social media channels provide constant updates and that in most of the country, activities continue as normal.
Sheinbaum additionally expressed her "recognition for the Mexican Army, National Guard, Armed Forces and Security Cabinet" and underscored their daily commitment to peace, security, justice and well-being.
(GreenMe.it 2026/Managing Editor: Selma Keshkire - The Press Junction/Picture: ©picture alliance / NurPhoto | Noushad Thekkayil)