About our Mexico Drug War news
Latest news on Mexico Drug War, providing comprehensive coverage of cartel violence, security operations, narcotrafficking, fentanyl, US-Mexico cooperation, and border security under President Sheinbaum.
The Mexico Drug War continues to be one of Latin America's most pressing security challenges, with over 400,000 deaths attributed to organised crime violence since its escalation in 2006. As President Claudia Sheinbaum begins her administration, she faces the daunting task of confronting powerful cartels while developing security strategies that balance enforcement with addressing root causes of violence.
Recent months have witnessed important shifts in Mexico's security landscape, with the Sinaloa Cartel experiencing internal power struggles and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) continuing its territorial expansion. The Mexican military and National Guard maintain operations against these criminal organisations, with Sheinbaum signalling a more confrontational approach than her predecessor's "hugs not bullets" strategy. A key focus remains combating the trafficking of fentanyl, as the synthetic opioid crisis continues to devastate communities in the United States.
The human toll of this conflict extends far beyond statistics, with communities across Mexico enduring the brutality of cartel violence. In states like Michoacán, Guerrero, and Sinaloa, citizens face extortion, kidnapping, and forced displacement. Organisations such as the Mothers Searching for Their Disappeared continue their heartbreaking work, seeking justice for the more than 100,000 people who have gone missing during the conflict. Meanwhile, journalists covering the drug war face extraordinary dangers, with Mexico remaining one of the world's most perilous countries for reporters.
The origins of the current crisis trace back to December 2006, when then-President Felipe Calderón deployed military forces against drug trafficking organisations. This militarised approach, supported by US funding through the Mérida Initiative, fragmented larger cartels into smaller, often more violent groups fighting for territory and trafficking routes. Despite billions in security assistance and numerous high-profile arrests over the years, the fundamental drivers of the drug trade – including American demand for illicit drugs, entrenched corruption in Mexican institutions, and economic inequality – have proven difficult to address.
Our NewsNow feed on the Mexico Drug War provides real-time updates from trusted Mexican and international news sources, offering comprehensive coverage of this complex crisis. From security operations and policy developments to the social impact of cartel violence, our feed delivers the essential information needed to understand one of the most challenging security issues in the Americas today, including how President Sheinbaum's government is responding to this ongoing national emergency.