Mexican authorities’ killing of Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” in a U.S.-backed raid on February 22 has been hailed as one of the most significant blows against organized crime in recent history. Mexican special forces tracked the elusive leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel to a remote cabin, eliminating him in an operation that captured global attention and marked the largest cartel takedown in at least a decade.
The immediate aftermath saw cartel members lash out violently across Mexico, torching buildings and blockading roads in a display of territorial control. Yet U.S. and Mexican security officials caution that this dramatic strike does little to disrupt the cartel’s critical operations north of the border, which remain essential to its dominance, profits, and access to military-grade weapons. Experts say the Jalisco cartel’s U.S.-based networks—ranging from fuel smuggling and money laundering to illegal arms sourcing—will continue unless Washington takes a more aggressive role domestically.
“The United States has become increasingly important to cartels, especially the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, for it to thrive,” said Alamdar Hamdani, former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas. From U.S. gun shops to shell companies facilitating fuel smuggling, the cartel has built sophisticated operations that sustain both its finances and firepower. Mexican Army Chief Ricardo Trevilla noted that 80% of weapons seized since President Claudia Sheinbaum intensified anti-cartel efforts originated in the United States, including rifles capable of downing helicopters.
The White House emphasized its partnership with Mexico in targeting criminal networks, highlighting El Mencho’s elimination as a product of cooperation. Yet officials and security experts argue that U.S. efforts have lagged in addressing cartel activity on home soil. Last year, thousands of agents specializing in drugs, firearms, and money laundering were diverted toward mass deportation efforts, and prosecutions for drug conspiracies and money laundering fell sharply.
Cartel-linked financial operations in the U.S. further underscore the transnational reach of El Mencho’s network. Real estate, trade, restaurants, and even stock market investments have been used to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit funds. “There’s a lot of economic integration—both legal and illegal,” said Alexia Bautista, a former Mexican diplomat. Arrests of high-ranking cartel associates in the U.S., including El Mencho’s son-in-law, reveal just how deeply embedded these networks are in American territory.
Experts warn that unless the United States intensifies domestic enforcement on arms trafficking, money laundering, and fuel smuggling, the Jalisco cartel will remain a potent force. Alejandro Celorio, former Mexican diplomat, said Sheinbaum’s bold crackdown could serve as a catalyst for Washington to act more decisively. “As the world’s leading commercial and military power, the U.S. could certainly investigate more deeply how money and drugs move within U.S. territory,” he said.
The killing of El Mencho may have struck a symbolic blow, but analysts caution that the cartel’s structural resilience and U.S.-dependent networks suggest that its operations—and its threat—will continue unabated unless cross-border enforcement intensifies.
