PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
February 23, 2026
Contact: press@alianzaamericas.org / (773) 638-4278
Chicago, IL. Alianza Americas, a network of more than 55 Latin American and Caribbean immigrant-led organizations across the United States, expresses deep concern over the violence that erupted across Mexico following the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
While the U.S. government has placed significant pressure on Mexico to confront narcotics trafficking and cartel violence, this crisis is not new. Communities across Mexico have endured decades of insecurity fueled by organized crime, corruption, and impunity. Many people have fled the country they love because daily life in numerous states is shaped by threats, extortion, and fear.
U.S. involvement in military-style operations risks repeating failed strategies of the past. Enforcement actions alone cannot dismantle criminal networks when corruption within local, state, and federal institutions remains pervasive and accountability is weak. Cartel influence has infiltrated public institutions, eroding public trust and leaving communities without reliable protection. This reality, compounded by deep economic inequality and limited access to dignified employment, leaves families with few viable alternatives and little capacity to withstand violence.
The headlines from this weekend reflect what for many Mexicans and migrants is an ongoing, normalized reality: kidnappings, extortion, forced disappearances, and femicide. For too long, this violence has been treated as episodic rather than as a structural root cause of migration. A bilateral strategy centered primarily on military intelligence and force will likely intensify instability if it is not paired with meaningful efforts to combat corruption, strengthen democratic institutions, and rebuild public trust. Cartels today not only threaten and assassinate political candidates, but they also seek to influence and position their own, undermining democratic processes, including the recent judicial reform.
Alianza Americas calls on the government of Mexico to prioritize institutional integrity, transparency, economic justice, and community safety over short-term displays of force. Lasting security will only be achieved by addressing corruption, protecting human rights, and confronting the structural conditions that drive both violence and migration.
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Alianza Americas is a transnational network of migrant-led organizations in the United States. We advocate for social justice, equity and human rights in the Americas.
