Security Crisis in Mexico After El Mencho's Elimination: Cancelled Competitions and World Cup Concerns

The death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the legendary leader of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación, has cast a shadow over the stability of the Mexican state. The operation in the town of Tapalpa, which led to his downfall, immediately triggered a brutal mechanism of retaliation. Cartel members responded with roadblocks, burning vehicles, and attacks on public infrastructure, forcing authorities to temporarily close airports in Jalisco state. This situation became the subject of an urgent phone call between Donald Trump and President Claudia Sheinbaum, during which the American side inquired about the operation's details and security guarantees in the region. Since 2006, when the Mexican government declared open war on the cartels, the country has been grappling with a wave of violence that, according to official statistics, has already claimed over 450,000 lives and led to the disappearance of tens of thousands of people.A wave of disinformation on social media further fueled panic among residents, suggesting an inevitable succession war within the weakened cartel. Intelligence reports warn of planned attacks on police bases and town halls in Chiapas, indicating that striking the leader did not dismantle the organization's structure but made it more unpredictable. Simultaneously, President Sheinbaum announced a visit to Sinaloa, the bastion of the rival Sinaloa Cartel, intended as a symbolic show of the state administration regaining control over the country. This visit, however, comes at a time of record-low support for the president, which fell to 56 percent in February. 56% — is the current record-low approval rating for the President of Mexico The most serious consequences, however, strike a blow to Mexico's image and its aspirations as a safe host for major sporting events. The World Aquatics federation's decision to cancel the Diving World Cup in Zapopan, justified by concerns for the athletes' safety, is a warning signal ahead of the upcoming 2026 World Cup. Although a recent football match with Iceland took place with army support, the sports world is watching with concern whether the state can contain the chaos before the tournament. Meanwhile, families of the disappeared in Guadalajara warn that in the face of a new wave of fighting, their struggle for the truth about their loved ones will be completely marginalized by the current crisis. „No estamos en una normalidad absoluta, pero poco a poco la estamos recuperando” (We are not in absolute normality, but little by little we are recovering it) — Pablo Lemus