Murders, torched cars and highway blockades. Bank branches set ablaze on otherwise empty streets. Tourists stranded in resorts in Puerto Vallarta. Classes suspended in at least 13 states.

The killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a.k.a. "El Mencho,” by Mexico’s armed forces on Sunday unleashed a wave of violence across the country. Every time a major cartel loses its boss, the spasm of revenge against the government is followed by bloody internal struggles as major players and their factions move to fill the vacuum.

The reaction underscores the risk that the government of Claudia Sheinbaum took by deciding to decapitate the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, the country’s most powerful criminal organization, which generates billions each year from activities such as drug trafficking and extortion. Yet even as it raises the prospect of sustained violence and cartel infighting in parts of Mexico, as seen in Sinaloa after the removal of Ismael "Mayo” Zambada in 2024, Sheinbaum’s bold move deserves support and recognition.

© The Japan Times