The February 22, 2026 death of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, head of Mexico’s powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), has reignited debate about security, governance, and the strength of Mexico’s organized crime institutions. In the days following the operation, cartel-linked violence spread across multiple states — underscoring both the reach of organized crime and the risks of confronting it.

Tony Payan, director of the Baker Institute’s Claudio X. González Center for the United States and Mexico, joins Ambassador David Satterfield to examine what Oseguera’s death could mean for Mexico’s fight against organized crime and the evolving role of the United States in that effort.

They discuss the extent of U.S. involvement and coordination in the operation, the political and security pressures facing President Claudia Sheinbaum as she intensifies the government’s campaign against cartels, and what this moment may signal for the future of U.S.–Mexico security cooperation. At the center of the conversation is a critical question: Will this operation strengthen the rule of law in Mexico — or simply trigger another cycle of violence?

This conversation was recorded on February 26, 2026

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Mentioned in this episode:

• Tony Payan, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/tony-payan

Mexico is the United States’ largest trading partner and home to a formidable industrial base. So why has its economy continued to underperform, with GDP growth of just 0.7 percent last year?

Roberto Salinas-León, president of the Mexico Business Forum and director of the Atlas Network Initiatives for Latin America, joined “México Centered” host Tony Payan to discuss the structural challenges inhibiting Mexico’s economic growth and possible ways forward, from investor uncertainty to low productivity tied to weak public investment and a large informal sector.

This conversation was recorded on February 17, 2026.

Featured: Roberto Salinas-León, Ph.D.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberto-salinasleon/ Tony Payan, Ph.D.: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/tony-payan You can follow @BakerInstitute and @BakerInstMexico on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

The Mexican press has played a vital role in the democratization of Mexico — not just reflecting political transformations, but propelling them. That’s the history that Andrew Paxman, lays out in his new book “Mexican Watchdogs: The Rise of a Critical Press Since the 1980s.”

Paxman joined the “México Centered” podcast to discuss the various challenges to press freedom throughout modern Mexican history and what may lie ahead in the MORENA era, from the future of critical media to the growing role of the digital influencer.

Featured:

• Andrew Paxman, Ph.D., https://andrewpaxman.wordpress.com/about/about-me/

Mentioned in this episode:

• “Mexican Watchdogs: The Rise of a Critical Press Since the 1980s”

This conversation was recorded on Jan. 12, 2026.

More about Tony Payan, Ph.D.: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/tony-payan

You can follow @BakerInstitute and @BakerInstMexico on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.