Decapitating cartels? Mexico leans into ‘kingpin strategy’ but at a cost

Under pressure from the US, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has authorised military operations to arrest cartel leaders. But what are the costs?

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Monterrey, Mexico – In July 2024, following the arrest of cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in Texas, activist Maria Isabel Cruz and her colleagues started to notice a troubling trend.

Zambada was the cofounder of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most powerful criminal networks in Mexico. Authorities in the United States applauded his capture as a "direct strike" in their campaign to dismantle the cartel.

Decapitating cartels? Mexico leans into ‘kingpin strategy’ but at a cost

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