Why Mexico’s War on Cartels Is Impossible to Win

Taking down a drug kingpin is celebrated as a decisive victory, but removing the leader rarely dismantles the network. When special forces killed CJNG boss El Mencho, the cartel's response was instant violence across twenty states. Modern syndicates do not collapse when their founders fall; they operate like corporate franchises, built to withstand decapitation and trigger brutal succession wars. While governments claim a tactical triumph, ordinary civilians absorb the violent fallout of an empire that refuses to die. Produced by Yasmin Butt. #mexico #cartels #drugwar #geopolitics #cjng Read the best of our journalism: https://www.thetimes.com/ Subscribe to the Times Originals YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=timesoriginals Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timesandsundaytimes/ Find us on X: https://x.com/thetimes Find us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thetimes?lang=en Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetimes/ 0:00 The escalation of drug wars 0:57 The rise and fall of El Meno 2:10 Cartel retaliation and chaos 3:37 Scorched earth strategy 5:02 Succession and power shifts 5:53 Limitations of kingpin policy 7:10 The future of the drug trade