El Mencho's cartel still has power in the US after his death

El Mencho, a Mexican drug kingpin who was killed by the Mexican government is hailed as a major victory against?drug trafficking. It did not do much to stop the cartel's operations in the United States, however, and they will continue to be a major factor in its dominance until Washington takes action on its own soil, according U.S.

In a raid backed by the United States, Mexican special forces killed the elusive drug-lord Nemesio seguera on February 22. This was the largest cartel leader taken down in at least 10 years.

El Mencho’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel retaliated by destroying buildings and blocking roads in Mexico, a frightening display of its territorial reach which grabbed headlines around the world. The cartel has extensive networks on the U.S.-Mexico border that are not as well known but which are vital to its power and profits. These networks allow it to "source military-grade weaponry, smuggle billions in fuel and launder billions in cartel money."

Alamdar Hamdani said that the United States is increasingly important for cartels to flourish, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, said that the Trump Administration "has worked closely" with the Mexican Government to "stop the scourge" of drugs and criminals coming into the United States. This cooperation has led to "the elimination of the infamous narcoterrorist "El Mencho." She added that "the president will do everything he can to keep America safe against these vicious criminals, and the drugs which they use to poison America."

MEXICANS CALLS FOR U.S. TAKE MORE ACTION IN THEIR HOMELAND Washington put pressure on Mexico to intensify the fight against cartels ahead of the raid that will take place against the drug lord who was once untouchable. These actions can be risky for Mexico's government, as they could spark a violent wave in a nation where the drug conflict has already claimed tens thousands of lives.

Claudia Sheinbaum, the Mexican president, has escalated her crackdown and renewed calls have been made for the U.S. government to do more at its border.

Sheinbaum's close ally, Alfonso Ramirez Cuellar of the Mexican Congress said: "The United States cannot turn a deaf ear to Mexico's requests any longer."

He said that the U.S. must improve its efforts to combat money laundering, fuel theft, and above all weapons smuggled into Mexico from the U.S.

He said: "We cannot stop drug traffickers as long as the United States allows them to continue strengthening their military capabilities."

In recent years, the U.S. has built and prosecuted hundreds cases related to cartel activity in the U.S. The Trump administration diverted thousands agents last year, including those who specialize in money laundering, guns, and drugs, from these cases to focus on mass deportations. In September, it was reported that the number people charged with money laundering and drug conspiracies had dropped significantly. Vanda Felbab Brown, a security specialist, said that the Trump administration had focused primarily on militarized action?against drug trafficking abroad and hadn't paid as much attention to actions here at home. According to a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice, the administration is "acutely focused" on securing border, prosecuting violent drug traffickers, and deporting all members of cartel network.

The department also cited a number of recent cases, which included high-ranking Jalisco cartel members. The office of Mexico’s president did not respond to comments.

Roberto Velasco is the Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for North America. He said that the Mexican government had repeatedly stressed in bilateral meetings and work groups, that the Mexican government's top priority was to stop the arms trade.

He said that while there had been significant progress in controlling this flow, more could be done. "We believe that much more can still be done, to control it and to target networks?in the United States, which facilitate it. This empowers transnational criminal groups," he added.

After El Mencho was killed, we spoke with a dozen current and former U.S. officials and Mexican officials. We also reviewed court documents in 10 recent U.S. cases relating to the cartel. This gave us a better understanding of its U.S. operation.

The report revealed that the activities of the cartel in the United States are crucial to its firepower and profits, and will not be affected by the death of the leader. Reporting also revealed that U.S. professionals and companies - including fuel traders, cell phone retailers and stockbrokers -- are complicit with cartel activity.

Former Mexican diplomat Alexia Bautista said, "There is a lot of integration in the economy - legal and illegal."

CARTELS FIGHT THE MEXICAN MILITARY WITH U.S. CARTELS FIGHT THE MEXICAN MILITARY WITH U.S.

He added that 80% of the 2,300 weapons the Mexican Government has seized in the last two years since Sheinbaum assumed office at the end of 2024 were from the U.S.

According to U.S. authorities and Mexican officials, the Jalisco cartel has become an expert at sourcing heavy military artillery in U.S. gun stores across the nation. According to an investigation, through one of its gun-running network, the cartel acquired guns from more than a 12 states in the U.S., including.50 calibre rifles that can down helicopters and FN SCAR?rifles for U.S. Special Forces.

Although such weapons can be bought legally in the U.S. they become illegal when they enter Mexico due to its strict gun laws.

Why do we dismiss the argument of the Mexicans that we can do better in tackling the gun traffic southbound? Derek Maltz is a former acting administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

He said that the U.S. must step up its efforts in many areas, including public health programs and mental illness programs.

The Jalisco cartel has the power to smuggle fuel.

The cartels have long been fueled by the insatiable American demand for drugs. While drugs have been the main source of income for the cartels, they've quietly built up a cross-border oil empire worth billions in just a few years. As reported in October, the Jalisco cartel dominates this business. It would not have been possible to expand it without a network that included refiners and fuel traders as well as transport companies, storage facilities and companies involved with transportation. Guadalupe Correa is a professor from George Mason University, who has studied the ways cartels can diversify their sources of income. It's a massive, global business.

According to U.S. authorities and Mexican authorities, the cartel orchestrates a two-version scheme.

Members of cartels in Mexico steal crude oil from Pemex, which is then smuggled over the border and sold to U.S. firms. Shell companies are used by cartel members to purchase diesel and gasoline mainly from U.S. firms. Fuel is disguised in Mexico as other products, and this amounts to a lucrative tax fraud. Sheinbaum confirmed in the past that U.S. businesses were involved with fuel smuggling. Sheinbaum said that it was impossible to explain how fuel from the U.S. enters Mexico illegally.

HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN CARTEL-RELATED ASSETS IN U.S.

El Mencho’s son-in law Cristian Gutierrez was arrested late in 2024 in a $1.2 Million house in Riverside, California.

According to court records, Gutierrez who pled to a conspiracy to launder money internationally in June 2025 said that he purchased the five-bedroom house using drug proceeds channeled through an espionage shell company set up to look like it was a tequila manufacturer.

The Jalisco cartel uses real estate as one of many ways to clean its cash in the U.S.

Carlos Olivo is a former DEA Agent who specialized on tracing cartels'?U.S. financial networks. financial networks. He said that the money of the cartel flows through the textile industry, music, agriculture, restaurants, and the U.S. Stock Market.

He said that the United States had cartel money worth hundreds of millions.

A DEA spokesperson responded to questions regarding this story by saying that the cartels used a variety of money-laundering schemes. They "also use trade based money-laundering schemes, cryptocurrency and bulk cash to fund their operation."

Former Mexican diplomat Alejandro Celorio said that he hoped Sheinbaum's choice to pursue the cartel leader who was the most powerful in the country, would inspire the U.S. - to redouble their efforts within its borders.

Celorio stated that the U.S., as the world's largest commercial and military power could investigate more deeply the movement of money and drugs within U.S. soil. Reporting by Laura Gottesdiener, in Monterrey; Stefanie Eschenbacher, in Mexico City; and Sarah Kinosian, in Miami; Additional reporting by Emily Green, in Mexico City. Editing by Claudia Parsons.

(source: Reuters)