U.S.-Led Task Force Plays Crucial Role in El Mencho's Capture

A newly formed U.S. military-led task force, aimed at collecting intelligence on drug cartels, supported the Mexican military operation that killed drug lord El Mencho. The task force, launched to map cartel networks along the U.S.-Mexico border, provided data assembled by U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

A covert U.S. military-led intelligence team was instrumental in the recent Mexican military mission that led to the death of notorious drug kingpin El Mencho. According to a U.S. defense official, the Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel, involving multiple government agencies, was established last month to tackle drug cartels more effectively.

Although the raid was carried out by the Mexican military, a former U.S. official acknowledged that extensive intelligence from U.S. agencies was pivotal. The operation's success marks a significant victory in the fight against drug cartels, notorious for smuggling massive drug quantities into the United States.

Despite this victory, experts emphasize that dismantling the cartel's broad network remains a challenge. The U.S.-Mexico partnership has intensified under a growing pressure campaign from the Trump administration, which aims to curtail drug trafficking at any cost, including employing military strategies used against terrorist organizations.

(With inputs from agencies.)