On April 27, Mexican security forces mounted an operation in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit and captured Audias Flores Silva, alias “El Jardinero,” a top regional commander of the Jalisco Cartel New Generation.
It was just the latest offensive against Mexico’s top crime groups. One week earlier, security forces went after Aureliano Guzmán Loera, an influential Sinaloa Cartel player known as “E...
The "kingpin strategy" in Mexico represents a high-stakes gamble: by decapitating cartel leadership, authorities aim to disrupt criminal operations, but the unintended consequence has been the fragmentation of these groups into smaller, more volatile factions. The strategy’s strongest version argues that removing key leaders weakens cartels, reduces their operational capacity, and creates opportunities for state intervention. However, the pattern of outcomes suggests a more complex reality. The ...