After Six Decades of the War on Drugs, What Works?

For nearly 60 years the U.S. and its allies have spent blood and treasure trying to kill drug lords and dismantle cartels, yet the trade persists and newer groups are often more violent. On Sunday the Mexican military killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

The group functions more like a conglomerate than a single gang, with operations that range from growing avocados to smuggling migrants and trafficking drugs. El Mencho’s death alone is unlikely to end the cartel. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is deeply rooted and, analysts say, requires a patient, long-term strategy beyond decapitation.

Carlos Pérez Ricart described the group’s tactics as "narco-terrorism," noting that successive generations of members have escalated violence — beheadings and public displays of bodies have become a way to assert control.

Mexico

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