Natalie Kitroeff

an excuse to intervene, which would be devastating for them.

Given that, let's talk about what this capture means for the cartel that El Mencho ran moving forward.

What's the upshot for this multibillion-dollar organization?

How big of a blow is this for them?

Right.

That battle over succession could play out across the country for months, if not years.

And I think the question now is how far is the Mexican government willing to take a war on the cartels?

I want to talk about that 10-year project, about what it would actually take to dismantle these groups.

Because you've both said El Mencho, for example, has plenty of people waiting in the wings to succeed him.

I mean, we have seen history shows that taking out the boss of a cartel does not automatically eliminate the entire organization underneath him.

When I was in Sinaloa, I talked to cartel leaders who said, if you take me out, there's 10 more guys waiting to take my place.

So what is the recipe for long-term success here, for actually, as you said, Maria, dislodging these groups from the country?

Given that this is such an intractable problem, I'm just curious if we know at what point President Trump is going to be satisfied with the progress that Mexico is making.

Like, do we know if this move to take out El Mencho might have appeased Trump and bought the Mexican government some time?

You're saying the goalposts moving, that could be seen as a good thing.

Like in one way, it's a bait and switch, but in another, that's kind of just how progress works.

Well, Jack, Maria, thank you both so much.

Thanks so much for having us.

We'll be right back.

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