Mexican drug cartel boss ‘El Mencho’ tracked through romantic partner

While the killing may relieve pressure on the Mexican president from Trump, it will also create a cartel power vacuum. Sheinbaum has previously criticised the discredited "war on drugs" strategy, in which military action often triggers major violence only for new cartel leaders to emerge… 

 "If no one can, if the CJNG finally splinters, you have four or five different lieutenants with the manpower, the weaponry and the criminal empires to build their own fiefdoms – and that could plunge Mexico into almost record levels of violence," Dalby said…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/23/el-mencho-mexican-drug-cartel-boss-killing-violence

Stephen Miller takes leading role in strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats

A divided three-judge panel at the US court of appeals for the fifth circuit on 2 September ruled that deportations under the Alien Enemies Act were unlawful, because the administration had not met the high burden of showing Tren de Aragua was an arm of the Maduro regime. 

It remains unclear who signed off on the legal justification for the strikes...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/29/stephen-miller-venezuela-drug-boat-strike

 

DeSantis doesn’t rule out using missiles against Mexico - POLITICO

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wouldn't rule out launching missiles into Mexico to combat drug cartels if he's elected president, saying that it's "dependent on the situation."…

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/13/desantis-missiles-against-mexico-00115646

'Tunnels?': CNN host brutally fact-checks Blackwater founder Erik Prince as he promises Trump's wall will stop drug cartels - Raw Story

It's unclear if Blackwater would be one of the corporations contracted to build President Donald Trump's border wall, but founder Erik Prince is already a believer. ....
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/01/tunnels-cnn-host-brutally-fact-checks-blackwater-founder-erik-prince-promises-trumps-wall-will-stop-drug-cartels/

MS-13 is a street gang, not a drug cartel – and the difference matters - The Conversation US

Trump justice officials portray the Salvadoran gang MS-13 as a powerful drug cartel staffed with criminal undocumented immigrants. That's a dangerous mistake if you actually want to prevent violence. ....
https://theconversation.com/ms-13-is-a-street-gang-not-a-drug-cartel-and-the-difference-matters-92702

MS-13 is a street gang, not a drug cartel – and the difference matters - The Conversation US

Trump justice officials portray the Salvadoran gang MS-13 as a powerful drug cartel staffed with criminal undocumented immigrants. That's a dangerous mistake if you actually want to prevent violence. ...
https://theconversation.com/ms-13-is-a-street-gang-not-a-drug-cartel-and-the-difference-matters-92702

Ivanka's signature real estate deals were disasters linked to drug cartels and money laundering -- ThinkProgress.org

Before her father became president, Ivanka Trump tied herself more closely to two of her father's international projects than any others. One, in Panama, was the current president's first international foray -- a building, according to the developer, that Donald Trump wanted to be Ivanka's "baby." ....
https://thinkprogress.org/ivankas-real-estate-deals-corruption-33f65f778d0f/