Mexico’s newly elected President, Claudia Sheinbaum, has unveiled a bold plan to confront the country’s cartel violence, with a specific focus on fentanyl smuggling, extortion, and reducing homicides in the nation’s most violent areas. In her first 100 days, Sheinbaum aims to “pacify the country” by targeting the drug cartels that have tightened their grip on Mexico, destabilizing entire regions through violence and criminal enterprises. But will Sheinbaum’s approach succeed where others have failed, or could it provoke another bloody era for the Mexican people?
Sheinbaum’s strategy is centered on the ten cities with the highest levels of violence, such as Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez, both near the U.S. border. In addition to tackling homicide rates, her plan focuses on combating fentanyl smuggling, a deadly drug responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. The challenge she faces is immense, as previous Mexican presidents have struggled to curb cartel dominance. Felipe Calderón’s “war on drugs” intensified the violence, while her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s “hugs not bullets” strategy of de-escalation failed to stem the bloodshed.
Sheinbaum’s security chief, Omar García Harfuch, who has a track record of reducing homicides in Mexico City, has been appointed as Mexico’s new security minister. Under his leadership, the new administration intends to leverage intelligence, strengthen coordination between state and federal forces, and increase cooperation with U.S. agencies. Some U.S. officials are hopeful that Sheinbaum’s presidency will foster greater collaboration in the fight against cartel violence.
Skeptics question whether Sheinbaum’s approach will be enough to dismantle the well-entrenched criminal networks. Cartels have evolved beyond drug trafficking, expanding into extortion, human smuggling, and fuel theft, all while fighting over key resources like smuggling routes and agricultural products. Her administration must confront these varied criminal enterprises while maintaining public trust and preventing corruption within Mexico’s law enforcement.
The success or failure of this new strategy will be critical not only for Mexico but also for the U.S., where the cartel-fueled fentanyl crisis has become a key political issue.
As Mexico’s cartels play an increasingly dominant role in both nations, Sheinbaum’s plan may mark a turning point in Mexico’s ongoing battle against organized crime—or plunge the country into further violence. Only time will tell if Sheinbaum’s government can pacify Mexico or whether it will face the same brutal challenges that have plagued previous administrations.
