Natalie Kitroweth

And we saw firsthand the crackdown that they were so afraid of. at one point we're driving down the street and these police trucks pull up these guys just start spilling out of them and they're scaling the walls of this house suddenly they're on the roof all right we're literally watching a raid on a house go down we just

And we saw firsthand the crackdown that they were so afraid of. at one point we're driving down the street and these police trucks pull up these guys just start spilling out of them and they're scaling the walls of this house suddenly they're on the roof all right we're literally watching a raid on a house go down we just

It's very clear to us that something is going down.

It's very clear to us that something is going down.

And this kind of scene was playing out all over the city. This is just like an area that we've been hanging out in this whole time.

And this kind of scene was playing out all over the city. This is just like an area that we've been hanging out in this whole time.

While we were there, the Mexican government arrested two major players within the cartel. So there was a lot of activity. At one point, we go to meet with a higher-level cartel member who, when we get to him, he said he'd heard about the raid that we ran up on, and he is... genuinely shaking. His hands... Physically shaking. His hands are trembling in front of us.

While we were there, the Mexican government arrested two major players within the cartel. So there was a lot of activity. At one point, we go to meet with a higher-level cartel member who, when we get to him, he said he'd heard about the raid that we ran up on, and he is... genuinely shaking. His hands... Physically shaking. His hands are trembling in front of us.

And he said, the only option for me right now is survival. No, we're not cooking. No, we're not making fentanyl. That is shut down right now. It may be temporary. We are moving labs. We're doing this elsewhere. But right now I am on lockdown here. I am not leaving my house. I have lookouts everywhere and I can't even be here. He cut the meeting short. He basically ran out. He was so scared.

And he said, the only option for me right now is survival. No, we're not cooking. No, we're not making fentanyl. That is shut down right now. It may be temporary. We are moving labs. We're doing this elsewhere. But right now I am on lockdown here. I am not leaving my house. I have lookouts everywhere and I can't even be here. He cut the meeting short. He basically ran out. He was so scared.

Well, these guys that we're talking to are saying, look, the main thing that has changed from when you were here last is that Trump is in office and he's making all of these threats. And the Mexican government is cracking down like never before. Obviously, the Mexican authorities were on the streets before this. It's not like they weren't doing anything.

Well, these guys that we're talking to are saying, look, the main thing that has changed from when you were here last is that Trump is in office and he's making all of these threats. And the Mexican government is cracking down like never before. Obviously, the Mexican authorities were on the streets before this. It's not like they weren't doing anything.

But the cartel members say they're feeling the heat at a much higher level.

But the cartel members say they're feeling the heat at a much higher level.

Yeah, I think that's what it looks like to a lot of people, a lot of regular Mexicans, a lot of cartel members and a lot of security experts who have been studying this for a long time. Now, we have to keep in mind, Claudia Shainbaum, the new president, had come into office about a month before Trump was elected and then eventually started making these threats.

Yeah, I think that's what it looks like to a lot of people, a lot of regular Mexicans, a lot of cartel members and a lot of security experts who have been studying this for a long time. Now, we have to keep in mind, Claudia Shainbaum, the new president, had come into office about a month before Trump was elected and then eventually started making these threats.

So she had signaled early on that she was more willing to take on the cartel's head on aggressively than her predecessor. So we don't know how much of this might have happened without Trump anyway, because she was willing to change the approach. But I think it's pretty clear that the amount of progress, arrests, raids, lab busts, the pace of these actions is

So she had signaled early on that she was more willing to take on the cartel's head on aggressively than her predecessor. So we don't know how much of this might have happened without Trump anyway, because she was willing to change the approach. But I think it's pretty clear that the amount of progress, arrests, raids, lab busts, the pace of these actions is

is something that we've not seen in recent history in Mexico. One analyst told us, we've seen in one month what we might have seen in years.

is something that we've not seen in recent history in Mexico. One analyst told us, we've seen in one month what we might have seen in years.