Are the Cartels Winning?
From The Jacob Shapiro Podcast by Jacob Shapiro
May 21, 2026 · 54 min · Season 1 · Episode 342
About this episode
Ioan Grillo discusses the evolving nature of cartels in Mexico and the complexities of US involvement and Mexican sovereignty.
Ioan Grillo has spent decades on the ground in Mexico watching the cartels evolve, and his assessment is sobering. Violence has shifted form more than it's receded. Governments change rhetoric, not reality. The U.S. is more involved than anyone admits. And Sheinbaum is threading a needle between Washington's pressure and Mexican sovereignty. A conversation you won't find anywhere else. -- Timestamps: (00:00) - Welcome and Guest Intro (01:33) - Name Pronunciation (02:46) - How Cartels Evolved (03:35) - Violence Plateau Explained (08:04) - Homicide Stats vs Reality (10:01) - Sheinbaum Security Strategy (14:28) - US Role and Intervention (15:54) - Trump Era Cartel Priority (20:51) - Sovereignty and Mixed Views (24:38) - Extraditions and Double Talk (27:11) - US Role In Mexico (28:23) - CIA Tactics Debate (29:11) - Bukele Model Questions (30:22) - Why Bukele Rose (34:15) - Crackdown Tradeoffs (37:53) - Mexico Geography Limits (39:36) - What Tough Looks Like (43:19) - Journalism Under Threat (47:49) - Staying Sane Reporting (53:01) - Closing And Links -- Referenced in the Show: -- Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416 Jacob…
People in this episode
Host: Jacob Shapiro
Guest: Ioan Grillo
Topics covered
- cartels
- violence
- US intervention
- Mexican sovereignty
- political strategy
- journalism
Keywords
- cartels
- Mexico
- violence
- US intervention
- Sheinbaum
- Trump
- Bukele
- journalism
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: CIA
Books & works: The Jacob Shapiro Podcast
Places: Mexico, Washington, US, Bukele
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