# Mexico vs. the cartels

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-assignment-7432756/mexico-vs-the-cartels
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-assignment-7432756/mexico-vs-the-cartels.md
Podcast: [On Assignment](https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-assignment-7432756)
Published: 2026-02-28T06:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/THRH5055264539.mp3?updated=1772247829
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/THRH5055264539.mp3?updated=1772247829
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/on-assignment-7432756/episodes/mexico-vs-the-cartels
Duration seconds: 1886

## Resource

A pre‑dawn raid that killed cartel leader El Mencho triggered nationwide chaos, but our reporters say daily life in Mexico often looks very different from what goes viral online. Reuters correspondents Laura Gottesdiener and Emily Green join On Assignment to describe what it’s like to cover these criminal organizations. They also break down the cartel’s deep social and economic reach, and what El Mencho’s death means for Mexico now. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to opt out of targeted advertising.

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## Transcript

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