Balance of Power

Mexico Cartel Takedown Is a Risk for President Sheinbaum

The demise of “El Mencho” shows her government has decided to confront the drug gangs head-on.

Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, Mexico’s defense secretary, speaks alongside President Claudia Sheinbaum at a briefing at Palacio Nacional in Mexico City, Mexico, on Feb. 23, 2026.Photographer: Cristopher Rogel Blanquet/Getty Images

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By Gonzalo Soto

February 25, 2026 at 10:59 AM UTC

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As news broke of the killing of notorious drug lord “El Mencho,” Mexican and US authorities rushed to thank each other for their support in pulling off the biggest security coup of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s term.