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Mexico just took out El Mencho – and the cartels answered by setting cities on fire, trapping tourists and going head‑to‑head with the army. In this sit down I break down who El Mencho really was, how CJNG built its own “military,” what really happened in that operation, and why the retaliation looked like open war.

I’ll tell you what the news isn’t explaining: how a power vacuum like this works, who moves in next, and why this won’t stop the drugs and fentanyl from coming north. And I’ll make it clear how these cartels are nothing like the American or Italian mafia I was part of.

Former Mob Boss Breaks Down the El Mencho Mexican Cartel War

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00:00 – Mexico on fire after El Mencho

01:06 – Michael’s intro and love for Mexico

02:21 – State Department warnings and first questions

02:41 – Will the U.S. move on cartels?

03:11 – Drugs, fentanyl and Michael’s family tragedy

04:00 – Retaliation for taking out El Mencho

04:07 – Setting up cartels vs mafia comparison

04:28 – How El Mencho was killed in Jalisco

05:24 – U.S. intelligence support and Trump’s pressure

06:08 – Sanctuary cities and drugs pouring into California

07:37 – CJNG retaliation: buses burned, roads blocked, tourists trapped

08:40 – Puerto Vallarta shutdown and Mexican people

09:12 – Who El Mencho was and how CJNG operated

10:20 – Cartels’ military power vs mafia’s limits

11:45 – U.S. indictments, rewards and El Mencho’s family in custody

12:39 – Who benefits: Mexican government, U.S. law enforcement

14:13 – Power vacuum: Sinaloa, local gangs and rising violence

15:23 – Who loses: civilians, tourism and local police

16:02 – What to expect: paramilitary cartels and short‑term fallout

17:51 – Succession, plaza bosses and CJNG’s future

19:09 – Drug flows won’t stop and border politics

19:56 – Travel advisories and “wait and see”

20:27 – Major differences between cartels and the mafia

24:34 – Mafia rules on drugs and correcting online myths

25:39 – How cartels were built on drugs and became paramilitary

27:06 – Why cartels can’t operate in the U.S. like in Mexico

27:39 – Summing up: two totally different organizations

29:21 – Michael’s advice on Mexico travel and staying alert

30:16 – Dangerous world, Dubai safety and health focus

32:22 – Wine, additives and “healthier European wines”

33:29 – Blessing Mexico, the U.S. and the oppressed

33:52 – Christians, Trump and policy vs personality

35:04 – Asking for honest, intelligent political conversation

36:28 – Final sign‑off and “God bless”

Backbone Media Group

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