After El Mencho's killing, his cartel's power endures deep inside the US

People walk past a store and a car that were set on fire by members of organized crime, in the aftermath of a Mexican military operation in which Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho," was killed, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, February 26, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril

MEXICO CITY, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The Mexican government's killing of one of the world's biggest kingpins, ⁠known as "El Mencho," is being heralded as a major blow to drug trafficking.

But it did little to dismantle his cartel's critical U.S. operations, which will continue fueling its dominance unless Washington steps up the fight inside its own territory, U.S. and Mexican security sources said.