Cartels, Conspiracies, and Camarena Jack Luellen

Mexico's national elections on June2 were historic in many respects.  Most significantly is that Mexico elected its first woman, and first Jewish, President, and did so by an unprecedented margin.  
In this Episode, I discuss the election and look toward Mexico's future by discussing the reaction of the Mexican markets to Mrs. Scheinbaum's election and evaluating how her presidency could impact Mexico's relationship with the United States. I also consider how outgoing President Lopez Obrador could influence Mexican policies even after he leaves office.
Finally, I try to distill the myriad factors to assess potential changes in the Mexican government's efforts to combat the cartels.     

On June 2, Medico is likely to elect the first female President in a North American country. In addition to electing a President, the elections will fill the 628 seats of the bicameral federal Congress, eight state governorships, the Mexico City mayorship, and more than 20,000 local offices.
In this Episode, I consider the Mexican elections by looking at the two primary candidates for the presidency and their positions on key issues.  I also look the violence in the lead up to the elections, and the role of the cartels in the electoral process.  Finally, I address AMLO's role as the outgoing President, and what it says about Mexico's democracy, today and in the future.  

The efforts of Mexican cartels to launder the hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit profits in the U.S. have been a focus of law enforcement and regulators on both sides of the border.  In this Episode, I discuss an analysis of those laundering efforts published in the Journal of Illicit Economies and Development.  
The article, among other topics, details incidents of corruption at the highest levels of the Mexican government. The article also discusses the money laundering statutes in the United States. 
The article provides a case study of money laundering by Los Zetas through the quarter horse racing industry in the U.S.  The authors then present several examples of systemics corruption in the Mexican government at the state level. 
Finally, we discuss the six proposals for reform the authors suggest might assist in stemming the flow of illicit funds into the U.S.  

Last week, the DEA presented its annual National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA). In this Episode, I discuss some of the more significant observations in the NDTA. 
Specifically, I look at the NDTA's description of the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels, including their leadership structures, drug trafficking patterns, international presences, and other illegal activities.
I also present the NDTA's findings on the illegal drug threats in the United States, identified by seizures and overdose deaths.  

The use of social media has become an integral part of the operation of Mexican cartels and has expanded their reach and influence in new and profound ways.  
In this Episode, I look at the narrative themes in the cartel's social media presence, as well at the specific operational strategies and objectives fueled by social media. 
I also examine the Combating Cartels on Social Media Act of 2023, a bill currently pending in Congress.
Finally, I discuss current trends in cartels' social media use, and the propaganda "boosts" often unintentionally provided to cartels by news and other media outlets.
 

This last week, news reports highlighted the arrest of Abraham Oseguera Cervantes (alias "Don Rondo"), the older brother of CJNG leader El Mencho.
In this Episode, I discuss not only Don Rondo's arrest but also the arrest of other relatives of El Mencho, including another brother (El Tony Montana), his son, daughter, and wife.
Specifically, I discuss the often overly dramatic and misleading press reports surrounding these arrests and I examine the utility of this approach, one that has been used by the U.S. and Mexican governments, as well as those in other Latin American countries.