McCormick Talks to Bloomberg, CBC News About the Death of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel Leader

February 25, 2026

Bloomberg,CBC News

Gladys McCormick

History Department

International Relations Undergraduate Program

Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict & Collaboration

Program on Latin America & the Caribbean

Crime & Violence

Government

Latin America & the Caribbean

Bloomberg

CBC News

Gladys McCormick

While the killing of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel Leader “El Mencho” represents a political victory for Mexico's President Sheinbaum and a departure from her predecessor's passive cartel strategy, experts warn it risks triggering a destabilizing power void and increased violence, as evidenced by immediate cartel retaliation across 22 states.

Security analysts caution that removing cartel leaders through a “kingpin strategy” has historically produced short-term gains while potentially fueling further fragmentation and conflict.

“The kingpin strategy nets short term gains,” Gladys McCormick, Jay and Debe Moskowitz Endowed Chair in Mexico-U.S. Relations, tells Bloomberg. “It’s very effective at getting a dopamine hit of ‘we’re doing something against cartels,’ but as soon as next week we could see a splintering effect that comes into play.”

In the CBC News article “Mexican state that was epicentre of violence remains in 'code red' after death of cartel boss,” McCormick says the death of El Mencho may trigger a much wider onslaught of violence.

“He was a key leader of one of the most violent criminal groups in Mexico,” she says. “As with the captures or killings of other drug cartel kingpins, we are likely to see violence in response to the sudden power vacuum.”