The Shadow President: Mexico’s Narco Economy and Cartel Warfare

The Shadow Presidency: Analysis of CJNG and the Death of El MenchoExecutive SummaryThe recent death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," the leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), has triggered a state of open conflict in Mexico. As the head of the first cartel to achieve control over every Mexican state, El Mencho operated as a "shadow president," overseeing a narco-economy that ranks as the country's fifth-largest employer. The following analysis outlines the systemic infiltration of the Mexican government by cartels, the sophisticated military capabilities of the CJNG, and the significant, albeit clandestine, role of United States intelligence and special forces in recent high-level narco-operations. Despite government assertions that the situation is contained, evidence suggests a prolonged civil war is underway, fueled by a seamless transition of cartel leadership and a sophisticated arsenal of American and Chinese weaponry.