A cartel leader in Mexico has expressed concerns about protecting his family in the event of an American military strike within the country. Another leader has gone into hiding and rarely leaves his home. Two individuals involved in fentanyl production for the cartel have now shut down their drug labs.

Mexican authorities have conducted a series of arrests, drug seizures, and lab raids in recent months, targeting the powerful Sinaloa Cartel. This has forced at least some of its leaders to reduce fentanyl production in Sinaloa state, a stronghold for the cartel.

While the cartels have caused immense damage in Mexico and the United States, there has been a shift in the dynamic in Culiacán, the state capital, at least for now. Cartel operatives have been forced to move their labs to different parts of the country or temporarily halt production due to the government crackdown.

A high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel, speaking anonymously, said that the constant threat of capture has made it difficult to find calm or even sleep. The government’s crackdown on organized crime intensified after the Trump administration threatened retaliation if Mexico did not halt the supply of fentanyl into the United States. The Mexican government responded by sending troops to the border and deploying soldiers to Sinaloa state.

The Mexican security minister has stated that there is a constant weakening of the cartel due to the recent detentions. The country’s law enforcement has seized a significant amount of fentanyl in the past five months and made nearly 900 arrests in Sinaloa alone since October.

Additionally, the Mexican government has begun sending cartel operatives wanted by American authorities to the United States, signaling its commitment to battling the cartels. While President Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s efforts, the Mexican government’s crackdown has put pressure on the cartels.

Interviews with cartel operatives reveal that they are selling off property and reducing personnel due to the decrease in the fentanyl trade. Others are investing in advanced equipment to detect American government drones. Criminal organizations in Mexico have a long history of surviving attempts to dismantle them, but several operatives have expressed genuine fear of arrest or death at the hands of the authorities.

Experts note that any decline in production in Culiacán may not impact the flow of fentanyl north, as the drug is easily produced and the cartel can move its labs elsewhere. However, the crackdown has had an immediate impact, and some operatives cite the pressure exerted by President Trump as a factor.

While President Trump has considered unilateral military action in Mexico, the cartel operatives acknowledge that they are outmatched in terms of weapons compared to the American military. Nonetheless, they have expressed their willingness to respond if raids or strikes are carried out.

Ms. Sheinbaum, the current Mexican president, has defended her government’s efforts against accusations of an alliance with drug traffickers. However, corruption remains widespread in Mexico, and some cartel members believe that the government can be influenced through bribery.

Despite the arrests and crackdown, violence continues to claim lives in Culiacán. The labeling of

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/02/world/americas/mexico-cartel-fentanyl-trump-tariffs.html