Jack Nicas

But, you know, when those conversations do go deeper and when you speak to more people, there is really an acknowledgement that the Trump effect is real.

Yes.

So it was surprising that the violence died down that quickly, in large part because we haven't seen it die down like that in other instances of the top leaders getting captured or killed.

And so I think your theory is certainly a valid one because we have already made clear here that President Shane Baum is worried about a strike from Donald Trump.

Let's be clear.

The narcos are also worried.

Hmm.

You know, our colleague Paulina Villegas and I just got back from Sinaloa where we met with multiple narcos and they were very worried.

And it also, they gave the same reason that the government officials are giving, which is the capture of Maduro changed the game for us.

They now are worried themselves that they may be on the receiving end of a hellfire missile.

And so that has to be changing the calculus of the criminal organizations in Mexico about how they go about their business, how they carry out revenge like this, and how they make a scene.

Because in some ways, they're trying to run a business.

When you're trying to run a business, you kind of need to keep your head down and sell your drugs.

I think that what we haven't seen from the Mexican government is addressing the corruption.

The reality is the only way for this criminal group to get this powerful and this big is through the complicity of officials across the nation.

We haven't seen that level of political will yet from President Shainbaum and her party to go after the officials who really actually have already been pointed to as being corrupt.

I mean, one of the most powerful senators in Mexico has been directly linked to a cartel.

The former head of the Navy has been linked to a massive corruption scheme.

And you can go down the list.

There are many other politicians.