Story perspectives
El Mencho's Death: Cartel Stability Persists in Drug Market
2/23/2026
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Story summary
- Mexican authorities killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel.
- Despite this event, the global drug market remains stable.
- Tom Wainwright's Narconomics says cartels operate like decentralized corporations and absorb leadership changes.
- They control supply chains, especially coca farmers, enabling them to set prices and insulate profits.
