I sign up for the vital analyzes of Mexican colleagues who remind us that the wave of violence skilled through Mexico on February 22, 2026 right through the seize of El Mench isn’t new. An identical scenarios have not too long ago passed off within the nation. 2024 with El Mayo Zambado and 2016 with Joaquin el Chapo Guzmán. And if we return additional, we discover a minimum of 3 extra circumstances because the 2000s.
From the academy, we repeated advert nauseam that the method of “beheading the cartels” no longer most effective does no longer paintings to prevent the unlawful drug business, however creates unfavorable penalties for society within the quick and long run. Particularly for essentially the most inclined teams: native companies and marketers, kids and formative years with restricted assets in nations maximum suffering from drug trafficking.
The false narrative of the US that a couple of “powerful” drug traffickers in Mexico are accountable and the leaders of multimillion-dollar offers with global achieve continues to resolve the process safety technique in nations like Mexico.
Replay of already observed film
The result’s persistently unfavorable. Simplest the names of the fallen or imprisoned drug sellers, the nations the place the conflicts are going down and the names of those that rule the rustic are modified. Outdoor of those variables, the arrest of El Mench looks as if a repeat of an already broadly observed movie.
A logical step for the ones people coping with problems with safety and violence within the drug business in Mexico is to invite ourselves what the imaginable situations are after the “triumph”, if most effective symbolic, of the federal government of Mexico within the seize, albeit dead, of some of the nation’s most deadly drug traffickers.
A couple of days after this unexpected match, the provision of vital research and penalties of the autumn of El Mench is considerable, exactly as a result of it’s, sadly, a repeating development.
Thru my analysis, I attempt to establish the common sense of drug trafficking violence from other angles, together with other voices. From this analytical trench, I used to be additionally in a position to spot the myths in regards to the warfare on medicine that had been produced in the US and reproduced in Mexico, which from my viewpoint are what’s combating this nation from making actual growth on safety problems.
3 keys to vital research
In this instance, I wish to refer to 3 subjects that can’t be disregarded of vital research.
1. In Mexico, we will have to forestall reproducing the all-powerful drug trafficker discourse created in the US. This delusion has a very powerful serve as in our neighboring nation. Mexican, or Colombian, or any nation as opposed to the US, drug traffickers are important “enemies” to justify the warfare on drug trafficking.
Whilst it’s true that arranged crime in Mexico, which no doubt contains businessmen and political figures, has nice energy within the nation, it’s also true that its affect ends on the northern border.
The true leaders of the drug business don’t seem to be in Mexico or the nations of the World South, they’re within the North, in nations like the US and the UK the place the earnings of arranged crime will also be simply laundered and controlled as a result of the ones nations set the principles of the sport. And it seems that the principles want them.
2. Associated with the former level, we will have to keep in mind that the warfare on medicine has financial and political objectives for the US as a central authority, but additionally for its businessmen. That is the case with the hands business. From the educational group, we can’t fail to indicate the hypocrisy and contradictions of america Executive. At the one hand, they call for that we keep watch over arranged crime, however then again, they do not want to cross rules to forestall guns which are legally produced and bought of their nation from entering the palms of criminals in Mexico.
Shell casings at the flooring within the Guadalajara space after the capturing Picture: Antonio Romero, supplied through the creator (don’t reuse)
The violence of the warfare on medicine and loss of life is equipped through Mexico, and the guns through america. Within the face of the US’ persevered refusal to plan anti-money laundering rules and insurance policies, and its refusal to put in force methods that save you hands trafficking to Mexico, it’s problematic that we proceed to breed the discourse in academia that the US is certainly looking to battle arranged crime. If there may be something the US has made very transparent lately, it is that its sole precedence is protective the pursuits of the rustic, and particularly its maximum robust electorate.
3. We can’t assist however spotlight the truth that this arrest is going down in an instant after information that may be described as remarkable in fashionable historical past: the arrest of former Prince Andrew on suspicion of misconduct in public place of business in England. The Trump management’s questions on very little duty for the ones concerned on the subject of Jeffrey Epstein’s kid trafficking ring in the US as soon as once more divulge the hypocrisy and loss of transparency of the Trump management.
What does this factor must do with the arrest of El Mench in Mexico? Clearly none, however educational mirrored image raises the query of whether or not this used to be orchestrated as a smokescreen to divert global consideration from the Epstein case and its connection to Trump and different political and trade leaders in the US.
Eduardo Guerrero, one of the crucial essential safety analysts in Mexico, commented that the arrest of El Mench shocked him. And if we imagine that the intelligence important for the weekend operation got here from the US, it isn’t unreasonable to correlate the occasions.
Extra of the similar
The approaching months will verify the predictions of my colleagues. There will likely be conflicts in sure portions of the rustic. Sadly, there will likely be extra killing and violence related to the realignment of regional powers. On the other hand, as already observed, medicine will proceed to go the border, El Mencho will likely be changed, some arranged crime teams and cells will disappear and others will emerge, however finally it’s extra of the similar.
I conclude with the concept with which I started my e-book Death is a Aid. How is it imaginable that we’ve got a warfare on medicine on the global degree? Then the clinical and educational proof presentations that this can be a failed technique and generates way more violence than the possible hurt it seeks to offer protection to us from. How are we able to permit a failed coverage to eclipse the headlines, whilst we see in actual time how the US Executive is protective pedophiles, true lords and lords of arranged crime?
