Introduction
As Mexican presidents came and went, and security plans failed, drug lords like Ismael “Mayo” Zambada operated for over 40 years. His capture in July 2024, forced onto a plane to the United States, only confirms an exception: others like Nemesio Oseguera “El Mencho” or Isidro Meza “Chapo Isidro” remain free.
Historical and Structural Roots of Impunity
The impunity of drug lords is not solely due to operational failures or lack of political will, but also stems from historical and structural factors: geography, institutional complicity, and state abandonment.
- Successful Detentions: Operations targeting figures like Chapo Guzmán (2014, 2016), Beltrán Leyva (2009), and Treviño Morales (2013) were precise, not a result of territorial control.
- Widespread Crime: The democratization weakened political control mechanisms, leading to the erosion of territorial containment and peace. Felipe Calderón’s war in 2006 exacerbated the situation, multiplying criminal groups from six major cartels to over 150 armed factions controlling entire regions, diversifying into narcotráfico, extortion, fuel theft, human trafficking, and other crimes.
State Abandonment and Criminal Expansion
The criminal expansion is a consequence of state abandonment. In vast regions, there are no roads, telephones, public ministries, or military presence. Recent rains in Veracruz, Hidalgo, Tabasco, and Chiapas highlighted the state’s inability to deliver aid to isolated communities. Without a presence after a storm, capturing a boss entrenched in those mountains becomes nearly impossible.
The state’s void has historical roots: during the viceroyalty, central authority delegated control to local caudillos. The PRI institutionalized this practice, pacting with regional leaders, tolerating certain criminal activities, and ensuring political stability. When the system collapsed in the 1990s, violence took its place.
Challenges in Apprehending El Mencho
Capturing El Mencho now depends not only on military intelligence but also on addressing inaccessible, crime-dominated regions with combined social control and economic power.
- Global Crime Network: Mexican crime is part of a global chemical and financial trafficking network with Chinese intermediaries laundering money and supplying fentanyl precursors.
Recommendations for Mexico
Today, Mexico requires more than spectacular arrests. It needs:
- Permanent State Presence: Infrastructure and services must be established.
- Autonomous, Well-Funded Fiscalías: They need protection to function effectively.
- Civil Intelligence: Connect financial and territorial information.
- Sustained Political Will: Dismantle conditions that create cartel leaders.
The narco thrives on silence, abandonment, and lawless land. Until these factors change, new capos will continually emerge. Five centuries of voids explain why power changes hands in Mexico, but the state remains absent.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: What caused the impunity of drug lords in Mexico? A: Historical and structural factors, including geography, institutional complicity, and state abandonment, have contributed to the impunity of drug lords in Mexico.
- Q: How did the democratization weaken control over criminal activities? A: Democratization weakened political control mechanisms, leading to the erosion of territorial containment and peace, which exacerbated criminal activities.
- Q: What are the challenges in capturing El Mencho? A: Capturing El Mencho requires addressing inaccessible, crime-dominated regions with combined social control and economic power, as well as understanding the global crime network involvement.
- Q: What does Mexico need to combat drug-related issues? A: Mexico requires permanent state presence, autonomous and well-funded fiscalías, civil intelligence connecting financial and territorial information, and sustained political will to dismantle conditions that create cartel leaders.
