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, professor of history in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, is available to discuss with reporters the impact and fallout from the death of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera.

McCormick is an expert on corruption, drug trafficking and political violence in Mexico and Latin America.  She is the Jay and Debe Moskowitz Endowed Chair in Mexico-U.S. Relations and the author of “.”

She provided the following comments and is also available to talk to reporters.

• “The killing of one of Mexico’s most notorious kingpins, Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera, is surely to unleash a wave of extreme violence in Mexico. He was the key leader of one of the most violent criminal groups in Mexico, Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), responsible for shipping drugs and a range of other illicit activities in Mexico, Central America and elsewhere in the Latin America,” says McCormick. “This is not on par with the killings or captures of other kingpins, such as Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán (2016) or Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada (2024), of the Sinaloa Federation.”
• Here are a few reasons why it is distinct:
  • 1.) “In contrast to those two, El Mencho was killed in what likely looks like a joint special forces operation between the Mexican and U.S. governments. The fact that this will look like a capitulation to President [Donald] Trump is likely to inflame opposition on the ground, including CJNG members seeking retribution for the killing of their leader. President [Claudia] Sheinbaum must be watching the situation closely to ensure little spills out about the involvement of American troops. If President Trump issues a proclamation taking credit for the operation, this will cause backlash against her among Mexicans concerned over their nation’s autonomy,” says McCormick.
  • 2.) “As with the captures or killings of other drug cartel kingpins, we are likely to see violence in response to the sudden power vacuum. That violence will be greater because the CJNG was currently embroiled in a brutal battle with other organized criminal groups in the state of Michoacán. We are already seeing a surge of violence, including the burning of vehicles, in various states throughout western Mexico, including Jalisco where El Mencho was killed, which will continue. It would not be surprising to see the escalation include taking down members of law enforcement, including the Mexican military, which will further inflame violence,” says McCormick.
  • 3.) “The CJNG’s involvement with smaller and medium sized organized criminal groups throughout Mexico, Central America, and even parts of South America, such as Ecuador, are liable to destabilize the situations in other countries. The power vacuum left behind by El Mencho’s killing means that individuals in these other organizations are going to be vying to negotiate with whoever steps into CJNG leadership, which may take time.”

Please contact Ellen James Mbuqe, executive director of media relations, to arrange an interview.