The Daily · The New York Times

Inside the Operation to Take Down Mexico’s Biggest Drug Lord

February 26, 2026·33 min·3 clips
El Mencho forced new recruits to eat human flesh to prove their loyalty to the Jalisco cartel.
This episode investigates the operation to capture and kill El Mencho, Mexico's most powerful drug lord, detailing his brutal rise, the cartel's economic diversification, and the political pressure from the U.S. that spurred the takedown. It explores the implications for Mexico's ongoing war on cartels and the role of corruption.
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