By Sara Gomez, March 18, 2026
Justice cannot be served in Mexico when powerful cartels operate with violence and face little accountability all while the government turns a blind eye to their power.
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho” the leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación, was killed during a military operation Feb. 22. The Mexican government expected to reduce crime rates in Mexico following his death. However, it has made life more dangerous for citizens and tourists, showing how far there is still to go before achieving law and order in Mexico.
In retaliation to “El Mencho’s” death, CJNG set fire to vehicles, airports and highways all over Mexico. Franceinfo on TikTok shared surveillance footage of Mexico up in flames.
The corruption in Mexico is complex, with a government that often turns a blind eye when authorities and cartels collide. No real consequences are set in place when laws are broken every day. Mexico’s cartels are no different from the gang violence that once took over El Salvador eight years ago.
Both countries experience similar issues from officers being paid off to politicians secretly working with MS13. The México government has taken softer approaches when handling cartel violence affecting innocent people. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador faced criticism during his time in office for taking unrealistic approaches and making cowardly comments to the public when asked about how they were handling the arrest of most wanted man in the world Ovidio Guzmán López, son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
According to The Guardian, “He has pledged to offer ‘abrazos no balazos’ – hugs not bullets.”
Meanwhile, President Nayib Bukele addressed El Salvador’s corruption head on. He called out gangs, leaders and affiliates to be ready to give up their free will.
Bukele also made promises to his people and fulfilled them. Two percent of the country’s criminals have been put in jail and are serving time for their crimes. Although now it can be controversial comparison considering the times we are living in now with immigrants being deported. There are innocent people currently imprisoned since making allies with the United States and President Donald Trump. We cannot deny this tactic of reducing crime in El Salvador effectively since 2019.
The country is now one of the safest places in Central America. Facing the country’s issues head-on and taking accountability for the faults of the government, it regained justice in an almost fallen country.
Mexico’s current President Claudia Sheinbaum has also been called out for enforcing and following the same approaches as Lopez Obrador. The government never publicity confirmed “El Mencho’s” death. Instead, Sheinbaum focused on expanding social programs to reduce poverty and end cartel recruitment when she should’ve been addressing the kind of hell her military operation brought to citizens.
Instead of actually accepting her methods are not working and keeps avoiding the cartel longer, it will only leave citizens helpless with no true justice to turn to.
Phone calls leaked between Mexican police officers and “El Mencho” before his death revealed just how deep the corruption runs and an interesting power dynamic. El Mencho doesn’t follow orders from the law. He sets the rules for them. His tone is aggressive, calling out the shots and repeating his name over and over as a fear tactic. He also discloses personal details of an officer’s family members as a tactic to intimidate and signal officers to obey his rules or their families could be targeted.
“Honestly, since I did live in Mexico, it’s something really hard to get,” said Amy Selem, a peer adviser for MASA. “Because you can’t even trust the police to serve justice.”
“El Mencho’s” criminal history began in the United States May 14, 1986, when he was convicted and deported from San Francisco back to Mexico on drug-related charges.
Shortly after he returned to Mexico, he was allowed to become a police officer, despite having a history with narcotics. He was already working as an enforcer for Los Cunis, also known as the Milenio cartel, by the mid-1990s. A convicted felon turned into a corrupted cop.
The cartel’s violence will not go away by removing their leader; it will just cause disruption within them under a weak system. As long as the institutions remain corrupted, it’ll just keep repeating itself, creating a never-ending cycle.
CPP Philosophy professor Itzel Garcia argued the killing of cartel leaders leaves room for more uncertainty than justice in Mexico.
“If you kill one of them, that doesn’t end it,” Garcia said. “It creates a power vacuum, and that’s going to be violent.”
Change will occur once the government takes accountability for the corrupted people who work for them. They need to enforce consistent law enforcement to strengthen them. Until then citizens will continue living in fear with no one left to turn to for safety.
“Justice is a concept that applies when institutions function properly, and we’re not in that situation,” Garcia said.
Cartels cannot thrive without a corrupted system. They don’t just cause chaos; they infiltrate middle class jobs offering work and opportunities. These jobs include transportation, mechanics, law enforcement and more. These roles can seem like a lifeline for people since their government provides little resources and turns a blind eye when it comes to criminal activity.
Even after El Mencho’s death, the cartel’s power remains intact. It’s the same corrupted system, just with a new leader. It was never about who led them but rather about the institutions in place that allow them to keep growing and expanding.
“When you see them making money, and the government isn’t helping, people start asking why they shouldn’t join,” said Giovanni Reynosa, a MASA and CPP business administration student
Justice isn’t just about getting rid of a cartel leader and expecting change. The Mexican government needs to regain control by regaining the trust of its citizens. This means getting rid of the low effort, high reward system cartels use to recruit people, and start addressing bigger issues head on instead of ignoring their citizens’ living hell. Most importantly, it requires getting rid of all the crooked cops, politicians, law enforcement and starting over.
Until changes are made, justice will continue to be an ideal rather than a reality for Mexico.
Feature image courtesy of 35doublem on Instagram
