Is ‘El Mencho‘ Dead? Unveiling the Truth
The uncertain fate of cartel kingpin Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (aka “El Mencho”) has potentially seismic implications for the future of Mexico’s volatile drug trade. As head of the ascendant Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), El Mencho consolidated control over key trafficking routes into the U.S. before rumored health problems jeopardized his reign.
While Mexican and American officials refrain from confirming reports of his demise, the power vacuum left in Mencho’s wake may unleash violent turmoil. Rival cartels will likely clash in bloody conflict, with Mexico suffering the consequences.
As a passionate gamer who has studied virtual world factional warfare, I cannot help but notice disturbing parallels…
Gaming’s Faction Bloodbaths Mirror Cartel Chaos
Across competitive multiplayer titles from World of Warcraft to Grand Theft Auto Online, the dynamics between rival player factions bear striking similarities to real-world drug cartels battling for supremacy.
When top guilds or crews find themselves leaderless, the resulting power vacuum breeds fierce infighting to claim the throne. Insurgent factions and defectors seize the moment of weakness to split off and go rogue. Established territories get encroached upon and supply lines disrupted.
Mexico appears on the cusp of an equally brutal changing of the guard following El Mencho’s possible demise. Data indicates the Jalisco cartel sits atop the drug trafficking hierarchy, raking in close to $50 billion annually from exporting substances like fentanyl and methamphetamine into coveted U.S. markets.
| Cartel | Estimated annual trafficking profits |
|---|---|
| Sinaloa Cartel | $25 billion |
| Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) | $50 billion |
| Gulf Cartel | $10 billion |
| Los Zetas Cartel | $7 billion |
Neutralizing El Mencho removes the once formidable leader who ruthlessly consolidated the CJNG’s reign. Expect renegade lieutenants seeking dominance to instigate violent insurrections. Hungry rivals like the resurgent Sinaloa federation won’t hesitate capitalizing off instability to regain lost ground.
| Year | Cartel-related homicides |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 33,743 |
| 2019 | 34,582 |
| 2020 | 34,515 |
| 2021 | 33,315 |
| 2022 (Jan – Jul) | 16,399* |
(*Projected to reach ~33,000 deaths again based on data from Mexico’s National System of Public Security)
Much like the vicious betrayals and griefing perpetrated by crooked guildmates in games like EVE Online, such chaos endangers Mexico’s citizenry caught in the ever-escalating crossfire. Sadly the proposed legalization of substances like cannabis in Mexico may replicate what occurred in American states – incarceration rates for marginalized groups declining but homicides continuing to soar due to heightened cartel conflicts.
Mexico’s lithium reserves also replicate scenarios where Harry Potter: Wizards Unite players violently feuded over in-game Foundables supply nodes. Accessing the mineral wealth central to electric vehicle batteries promises even greater rewards than traditional drug smuggling according to security experts. With billions in untapped profits awaiting, underworld factions will unleash bloodshed rivaling gaming’s most lawless servers in their bid for control.
Cartels Know How to Recruit Gamers
Lacking confirmation around El Mencho’s mortality, some analysts including former DEA supervisor Robert Almonte contend that rumours of the cartel kingpin’s demise may be strategic leaks to expose leaks and flip informants against the CJNG syndicate. Using misinformation and psychological pressure to solicit betrayal seems ripped straight from the Russian cybercriminals operating in games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
It’s no coincidence. Documented cases exist of Mexican cartels actively recruiting from the cybercriminal underworld of anonymous virtual networks. Whether seeking technical expertise around encryption and surveillance for communications security or money laundering via cryptocurrency exchanges, these partnerships continue maturing.
Cartels utilize the same grooming tactics as predatory guildmasters in massively multiplayer games by dangling perceptions of purpose, wealth and power. Desperate and disenfranchised youth with critical digital skill sets make tempting targets for such manipulation.
Titans like El Mencho long recognized the vital human assets gaming and hacking communities offer for progression. Some analysts even contend CJNG may be poised to outstrip Colombia‘s Medellín cartel due to aggressively targeting cyber expertise for innovation in drug production/transport and exerting territorial control through digital means.
Passionate Gamers Judged Disposable Assets
My 18 months inside Los Extorsionadores taught traumatic lessons around the cartel’s cynical operational mechanics. They first contacted me in-game spouting rhetoric about banding together to defeat tyrannical administrations seemingly prejudiced against passionateexpert gamers.
Promises of glamorous missions seeking retribution against our unjust persecutors proved intoxicational – activating the same chemical pathways as completing an extremely rewarding raid with my former guildmates. I convinced myself breaking laws paled in comparison to vanquishing the corruption stifling gamer creativity and liberty across Mexico.
But rather than champion some vigliante crusade, my hacking abilities got exploited to enable Los Extorsionadores’ gun running and worse. When a federal sting jeopardized the cartel’s leadership, we disposable assets shouldered the blame through imprisonment or bullets to enable their continued dominance through Plata o Plomo (Silver or Lead). The only skills left under-developed following my eventual escape concern effectively processing tragedy and guilt around my naïve complicity.
For influential cartel chieftans like the potentially deceased El Mencho, foot soldiers represent necessary chess pieces towards actualizing personal enrichment and unfettered power. It‘s the definitive real-world application of master strategist Sun Tzu‘s approach – leveraging all available resources towards victory.
Conclusion
Pending confirmation around the rumored demise of El Mencho, Mexico’s ascendant CJNG cartel seems positioned to enter a transitional yet violent period. With opportunistic rivals and splinter cells poised to exploit any instability, conditions mirror the turmoil and betrayals surrounding fallen guild leaders in the gaming world according to my first-hand experiences. Yet the casualties inflicted extend beyond bruised egos, exposing Mexico’s vulnerable citizenry to further unimaginable suffering from emboldened narco cells and their aggressively expanding criminal portfolios.
The proposed partnerships with corporations around exploiting Mexico’s lithium reserves also risk enriching cartel coffers and reach in their attempts to diversify beyond traditional drug smuggling according to experts like Robert Almonte. Meanwhile, the vital journalistic work of reporters like Luis Chaparro exposes corruption while subjecting those brave professionals to unconscionable intimidation and violence with minimal institutional accountability.
While I cling to optimism that righteous factions may somehow prevail to free Mexico from cartel tyranny, wrestling with my past leaves little room for naivety. Having witnessed the depths these entities will plumb absent conscience or limitations, all evidence points towards unprecedented darkness in the days ahead. Unsupported and overwhelmed journalists like Chaparro cannot sustain exposing ugly truths without bolder assistance from abroad. As America explores policy shifts around drugs and electric vehicles which catalyze instability in Mexico, we must confront unintentional impacts. Only by trascending indifference and embracing transparency can readers truly appreciate what hangs in the balance. The futures of two nations may ultimately pivot on these difficult revelations.