Trump’s Anti-Cartel Strategy in Mexico: A Liberal’s Reluctant Recognition of Effective Policy
Wren Crowe 
Please note: We asked the AI to let our new intern — the sassy KaitlynAi to write this.
As if the universe needed to hand Donald Trump another victory, residents of Culiacan, Mexico are now praising his anti-cartel pressure tactics. Just fantastic. Here I am, a devoted progressive, forced to witness yet another example of Trump’s policies actually working when they’re supposed to spectacularly fail. The cartel-plagued city of Culiacan is showing signs of change, and I’m left wondering what happened to the narrative that Trump’s approach to international relations was supposed to be an unmitigated disaster.
The Cartel Crisis Transforming Daily Life in Culiacan
Before dawn each day, elementary school principals in Culiacan check their phones for reports of shootouts, ready to cancel classes at a moment’s notice if danger lurks nearby2. This isn’t some dystopian fiction—it’s the new normal for the million residents of Sinaloa’s capital city, which has become a bloody battleground between two factions of the Sinaloa cartel over the past six months2. The violence has transformed everyday life in ways that would be unimaginable in most American cities. Funeral homes can only operate during limited hours. Musicians who once played at lavish parties now perform at intersections for spare change. Children instinctively drop to the ground at any loud noise. And residents on the shifting front lines live in perpetual fear2.
This crisis erupted in September, following the arrest of Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, the cartel’s most experienced leader, who claims he was kidnapped by one of El Chapo’s sons and taken to the United States2. The power vacuum unleashed a brutal struggle between rival factions, shattering the unwritten agreement that had historically protected uninvolved civilians2. Since September, there have been more than 900 killings according to government data—a staggering figure that underscores the severity of the situation2.
The violence has escalated beyond mere shootouts. Carjackings, kidnappings, and cartel roadblocks have become routine occurrences. At these checkpoints, armed men scan civilians’ cell phones for any evidence of contact with rival factions2. One resident described how the frontline between the “Chapos” and “Mayos” factions now cuts through neighborhoods, transforming ordinary streets into dangerous boundaries2. People disappear without explanation, like 34-year-old Julio Héctor Carrillo, whose only “crime” was violating the self-imposed curfew that residents now observe for their safety2.
Trump’s Anti-Cartel Strategy in Mexico: A Liberal’s Reluctant Recognition of Effective Policy
Background: The Cartel Crisis in Culiacan
| Issue | Details |
|---|---|
| Violence | Culiacan has become a battleground between two Sinaloa cartel factions. |
| Daily Life | Schools cancel classes due to shootouts; funeral homes have limited hours; people live in fear. |
| Recent Trigger | Arrest of Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada led to power struggles. |
| Escalation | 900+ killings since September; carjackings, kidnappings, and roadblocks have increased. |
| Cartel Control | Armed men check civilians’ phones for rival contacts; some disappear without explanation. |
Trump’s Approach: Surprisingly Effective
| Policy Shift | Impact |
|---|---|
| Trump’s Pressure | Threatened 25% tariffs, forcing Mexico to act. |
| Mexico’s Response | New President Claudia Sheinbaum took a tougher stance on cartels. |
| Security Operations | Increased arrests, security forces now directly involved. |
| Cartel Surveillance | 400+ cartel cameras dismantled, double previous efforts. |
Tangible Results
| Metric | Before Trump’s Pressure | After Trump’s Pressure |
|---|---|---|
| Fentanyl Seizures (Sinaloa) | 286 lbs (first 6 months of 2024) | Over a ton (December 2024) |
| Drug Labs Dismantled | N/A | 113 in 10 days (Feb 2025) |
| Cartel Surveillance Cameras Removed | N/A | 400+ (Feb 2025) |
Shifting Public Perception
| Old View | New Reality |
|---|---|
| Cartels seen as “protectors” | People now feel “anger and anxiety” toward them. |
| Cartels ensured “relative peace” | Internal wars make them more dangerous. |
| Government ignored cartel issues | Authorities now actively fighting them. |
Conclusion: Ideology vs. Reality
- Liberal frustration: Trump’s policy contradicts the expected narrative of failure.
- Effectiveness matters: Culiacan’s residents care more about results than politics.
- Lesson learned: Effective policy can come from unexpected places.
Trump’s Approach: Annoyingly Effective Where Others Failed
As much as it pains me to admit, Trump’s hardline stance on cartels appears to be producing results where previous approaches fell short. The contrast between Mexico’s response before and after Trump’s election is stark and undeniable—which is just so typical. Of course Trump would manage to influence international drug policy more effectively than career diplomats and policy experts.
Under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico took a decidedly hands-off approach to cartel violence, frequently minimizing the problem and showing little interest in pursuing cartel leaders2. His ally, Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha, maintained a similar position, with his spokesman even suggesting that U.S. actions in arresting Zambada sparked the violence2. So convenient to blame everything on America, until Trump gets involved and suddenly things start changing.
Since Trump’s election victory and his threats to impose 25% tariffs, the security situation has transformed dramatically. Mexico’s new President Claudia Sheinbaum has shown herself more willing to confront the cartels aggressively, particularly the Sinaloa cartel, whose primary business is fentanyl production2. The number of security operations and arrests has multiplied, with federal authorities now directly supervising all security actions in the region2. As veteran journalist Ismael Bojórquez noted, “We have never seen such an overwhelming and daily operation against the cartels”—which is exactly the kind of statement I hoped I’d never have to hear about a Trump-influenced policy2.
Reluctantly Acknowledging Results on the Ground
The numbers are difficult to ignore, much as I’d like to. In December alone, authorities seized more than a ton of fentanyl in Sinaloa—compared to just 286 pounds in all of Mexico during the first six months of 20242. In the last ten days of February, authorities dismantled 113 synthetic drug labs according to preliminary state data2. In Culiacan, authorities took down more than 400 cartel surveillance cameras, double what authorities had previously identified2. These are meaningful achievements in the fight against drug trafficking and cartel violence, accomplished under pressure from an administration I’d prefer to criticize.
Local residents, who live with the consequences of cartel violence daily, are expressing gratitude for Trump’s influence—a sentiment that’s profoundly uncomfortable for me to acknowledge. “I never thought [Trump] would have so much power to do that… but I’m grateful,” said the owner of a beer store who was stopped at a police checkpoint2. A 55-year-old woman whose son-in-law was killed by a stray bullet five months earlier expressed similar sentiments while watching forensic technicians load another victim’s body into a truck2. These personal testimonies are difficult to reconcile with the preferred narrative that Trump’s foreign policy approaches are universally harmful.
The Cultural Shift: When Cartels Lose Their Protective Image
Perhaps the most significant development is the potential shift in how residents perceive the cartels themselves. For years, many locals viewed the Sinaloa cartel with a complex mixture of fear, respect, and even admiration—as protectors, heroes, or figures to emulate2. This attitude developed in part because when a single cartel dominated completely, there was relative peace for non-involved civilians. The current violence has shattered that perception.
Miguel Calderón, coordinator of the State Public Security Council, a citizen organization, observed that “The people are full of a collective anguish, anxiety, social anger and that’s different from other crises”2. This emotional shift could potentially dissolve the complicity and tacit acceptance that has allowed cartels to operate with limited local resistance for decades2. If Trump’s pressure tactics are contributing to this fundamental change in perspective, it represents a success that transcends simple metrics like drug seizures or arrest numbers.
The Frustrating Reality of Effective Policy Transcending Political Lines
The situation in Culiacan offers an unwelcome reminder that sometimes policies we oppose on ideological grounds can produce positive real-world outcomes. Trump’s aggressive approach to pressuring Mexico on cartel violence appears to be yielding tangible results, from increased seizures to a potential shift in cultural attitudes toward cartels. This reality is particularly frustrating because it contradicts the narrative that Trump’s foreign policy is driven purely by bombast rather than effectiveness.
While liberal comedy and political satire have struggled to evolve with changing political trends3, the situation in Mexico demonstrates that some of Trump’s policies demand a more nuanced evaluation than simple mockery. The protection of innocent civilians transcends political affiliation, and if Trump’s approach is helping to reduce violence in Culiacan, that deserves recognition.
The residents of Culiacan don’t have the luxury of ideological purity—they’re living with daily violence that has transformed their city. At Socrates Elementary school in downtown Culiacan, signs explain what to do during shootouts, and children regularly practice drills where they drop to the ground when the alarm sounds2. Principal Victor Manuel Aispuro can’t remember what it’s like to have all of his nearly 400 students in school, with some 80 families having fled the city entirely2.
For these residents, the effectiveness of security operations matters more than which president initiated them. And though it pains me to say it, Trump’s approach appears to be making a difference. The fact that I’m writing this sentence feels like a personal betrayal of my liberal values, but sometimes reality refuses to conform to our preferred narratives. Perhaps the most irritating aspect of this situation is that it reminds us that effective policy sometimes comes from leaders whose other positions we find objectionable. How inconvenient.
Conclusion
The struggle against cartel violence in Culiacan offers a frustrating reminder that political effectiveness doesn’t always align neatly with our ideological preferences. While Trump’s broader approach to Mexico—particularly his rhetoric about immigration—remains deeply problematic, his pressure tactics regarding cartel violence appear to be yielding positive results for the people of Culiacan.
For liberals like myself, this creates an uncomfortable cognitive dissonance. We can continue to oppose Trump’s policies on immigration, environmental protection, and countless other issues while still acknowledging that his administration’s pressure on Mexico to combat cartel violence is producing meaningful change. The residents of Culiacan, who have lived through six months of unprecedented violence, deserve security regardless of which president helps provide it.
Perhaps the most important lesson from this situation is that the complexity of international relations rarely allows for simple ideological sorting. Effective policy can sometimes come from unexpected sources, and denying that reality does a disservice to those whose lives are directly affected. As much as it pains me to admit, in this specific instance, Trump’s approach appears to be working—and the residents of Culiacan are grateful, even if I’m reluctant to join them.
Citations:
- https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/cartel-plagued-mexican-city-pins-hopes-trumps-anti-119374
- https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/cartel-plagued-mexican-city-pins-hopes-trumps-anti-119374194
- https://theconversation.com/how-liberals-lost-comedy-and-helped-trump-win-244380
- https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-10-18/profile-on-brent-terhune-maga-comic
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tk7xqJy3D8
- https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/11/saturday-night-live-social-scientist/508337/
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/liberal-satire-is-getting-dangerously-lazy-in-the-trump-era/2018/11/01/fed766ee-ddd9-11e8-b3f0-62607289efee_story.html
- https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/fake-news-donald-trump-facebook-last-line-of-defense-conservatives-social-media-a8639981.html
- https://thewestottawan.com/5927/news/west-ottawan-satire-trump-secretly-working-for-the-democrats/
- https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/06/15/trump-comedy-political-satire-daily-show-stewart-colbert-bee-227151
- https://www.etsy.com/listing/1672899673/nope-never-again-anti-trump-yard-sign
- https://www.etsy.com/listing/1721341988/anti-trump-opinion-tee-sarcastic-if-you
