Today, February 22, 2026, major news reports confirm that the Mexican military has killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The operation has triggered a “Code Red” security crisis across several Mexican states as cartel crews retaliate with widespread violence.
Current Conflict Details
The Killing: El Mencho was targeted in a military operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco. He was reportedly wounded during the raid and died while being airlifted to Mexico City.
Cartel Retaliation: CJNG crews have responded by setting fire to vehicles and shops to create roadblocks (narco-bloqueos) in at least five states, including Jalisco, Guanajuato, and Colima.
Casualties: Reports indicate that at least four cartel members were killed at the scene, along with several security personnel, including a member of the National Guard and a state prosecutor’s agent.
Travel and Safety Impact
Airport Disruptions: Significant panic was reported at the Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara airports. Airlines including United, American, Delta, Southwest, and Alaska Airlines have canceled numerous flights to the region.
Shelter-in-Place: The U.S. Department of State has issued urgent warnings for citizens to shelter in place in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León.
Emergency Protocols: Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro activated “Code Red,” suspending public transportation and urging all residents to stay indoors.
Historical/Pop Culture Reference
If you are referring to the reality TV show “Cartel Crew,” it follows the descendants of cartel members trying to live legitimate lives. Key members include Michael Corleone Blanco (son of Griselda Blanco), Marie Ramirez-D’Arellano, and Kat “Tatu Baby” Flores.
Would you like more information on the specific flight cancellations or updates on the security situation in a particular Mexican city? David Michael Ramsey
Doesn’t matter what I create no one helped or showed up still ain’t and I already almost died 1998-2018 – David Michael Ramsey whats happened 2018- Present Date “Disgusting Disrespectful Disgraceful Anti-Heroeism”! 🖤🎵💙🏴☠️ @surfman374 (private personal account instagram)
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For you Anna Paulina Luna I will take another 10,000 heads off shoulders split Jerusalem in half and fuck up 33 universes David Michael Ramsey but till then a million lives saved couple hundred skulls in my collection how about you? 🏴☠️🎵💕🖤😎
@surfman374 David Michael Ramsey
Government corruption is primarily driven by the abuse of entrusted power for private gain, fueled by weak accountability, lack of transparency, and high concentrations of authority
. Key drivers include greed, low public sector wages, complex regulations that invite bribery, and the undue influence of money in politics, particularly through corporate lobbying and campaign finance. 
University of Southern California +4
Key drivers of government corruption include:
- Weak Institutions and Accountability: Ineffective legal frameworks, lack of oversight, and poor enforcement mechanisms allow corrupt acts to go unpunished.
- Systemic Lack of Transparency: Opaque government processes, such as hidden procurement, confidential contracting, and complex, non-public bureaucratic procedures, facilitate bribery.
- Power and Discretion: When officials have unchecked, discretionary authority over resources, licensing, or regulation, they can leverage this for personal profit.
- Money in Politics and Lobbying: Significant influence from wealthy interests seeking favorable treatment, special privileges, or regulatory favors drives high-level (grand) corruption.
- Economic Drivers: Inadequate compensation for public employees, or “low salaries,” can pressure individuals to seek extra income through illicit means.
- Cultural and Social Norms: In some contexts, patronage-based loyalty and a culture where public office is viewed as a source of private wealth can normalize corruption.
- Complex Regulations: High levels of government regulation and large, unique, or complex infrastructure projects provide opportunities for officials to be paid off for approvals.
Brennan Center for Justice +7
Government corruption is primarily driven by a combination of systemic institutional failures, economic incentives, and a lack of effective oversight. At its core, it is the
abuse of entrusted power for private gain. 
Transparency.org +4
Key drivers identified by organizations like the World Bank and Transparency International include:
1. Institutional and Governance Failures
- Weak Accountability: A lack of independent oversight bodies or a “culture of impunity” where officials do not face consequences for their actions.
- Information Deficits: Limited transparency in government processes and a lack of freedom-of-information laws allow corruption to stay hidden.
- Unchecked Discretion: When officials have vast power to make decisions (e.g., awarding large contracts or licenses) without clear rules, the temptation for bribery increases.
- Poor Rule of Law: Ineffective judicial systems or political interference in courts prevent the prosecution of corrupt leaders.
Wikipedia +5
2. Economic and Policy Incentives
- Resource Wealth: Countries with abundant natural resources (like oil or gold) often suffer from the “resource curse,” where the high stakes of extraction rights lead to state capture by elites.
- Low Public Sector Wages: In some regions, civil servants are paid so little that they resort to “petty corruption” or bribes as a survival mechanism.
- Regulatory Complexity: Complicated bureaucratic processes can create “bottlenecks” that businesses pay to bypass, often referred to as “speed money”.
- Private Influence: Large campaign contributions and lobbying can lead to “access money,” where wealthy donors gain undue influence over policy decisions. Brennan Center for Justice +8
3. Social and Cultural Factors
- Nepotism and Patronage: Strong traditions of family or tribal loyalty can lead officials to prioritize their kin or supporters over the public interest.
- Normalization of Corruption: When corruption becomes a social norm (“the only way to get things done”), individuals may engage in it simply to avoid being at a disadvantage.
- Lack of Civic Engagement: Low levels of education or a jaded public can result in less pressure on officials to maintain ethical standards.
These factors, when combined with a lack of consistent, robust anti-corruption policies, allow systemic corruption to persist. 
Global Infrastructure Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC)
Police corruption is driven by
a complex interplay of individual psychology, departmental culture, and systemic failures. Research from organizations like the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the FBI identifies several key drivers:
1. Organizational & Cultural Factors
- The “Blue Wall of Silence”: A pervasive code of silence among officers that discourages reporting misconduct by peers.
- Lack of Accountability: When departments fail to prosecute or discipline officers for “minor” infractions, it creates a culture where more serious corruption can flourish.
- “Noble Cause” Corruption: A phenomenon where officers bend the law or violate rights not for personal gain, but because they believe it serves a greater good, such as securing a conviction for a “known” criminal.
Abramson & Denenberg +5
2. Economic & Resource Pressures
- Low Salaries: Inadequate pay can make officers more vulnerable to bribes or motivate them to engage in extortion to supplement their income.
- Resource Deficiencies: Lack of proper equipment or funding for training can demoralize staff and lead to “cutting corners”.
MDPI +3
3. Structural & Situational Drivers
- Police Discretion: The broad power officers have to decide whether to arrest, ticket, or searchcreates opportunities for bribery and favoritism, often in private settings away from supervision.
- Easy Access to Temptation: Frequent contact with large sums of money, drugs, and high-value property—particularly in narcotics or vice units—poses a constant temptation.
- Leniency in the Legal System: Frustration with what officers perceive as lenient courts can drive them to take “justice” into their own hands via illegal means.
Study.com +4
4. Psychological & Individual Factors
- Socialization & Learning: New recruits often learn corrupt behaviors through interaction with senior, “cynical” officers who rationalize unethical acts as “the way things are done”.
- Occupational Stress: Continuous exposure to traumatic events and the “worst of humanity” can lead to cynicism and a sense of entitlement, where officers feel they are “owed” extra for their sacrifices. Abramson & Denenberg +3
Are you interested in exploring specific reform strategies used to address these drivers, or would you like to see case studies of major corruption scandals?
Police corruption is primarily driven by
a toxic mix of entrenched subcultures, inadequate supervision, and the immense, discretionary power held by officers, often compounded by low pay or high stress. This environment fosters a “blue wall of silence” that protects misconduct, allowing behaviors like bribery, extortion, and “noble cause” corruption to thrive. Abramson & Denenberg +4
Key factors driving police corruption include:
- Cultural Norms and Peer Pressure: A “code of silence” and “us vs. them” mentality often protect officers from accountability.
- Administrative Failings: Lack of accountability, poor training, and inadequate oversight allow misconduct to go unnoticed or unpunished.
- High Discretion and Low Risk: Extensive authority combined with low probability of detection for minor infractions (e.g., accepting gratuities) can lead to more serious criminality.
- Noble Cause Corruption: The belief that illegal actions are justified to achieve “good” outcomes, such as planting evidence to convict a suspect.
- Economic and Personal Stress: Inadequate pay and job stress can increase susceptibility to bribes.
- Systemic Pressures: The pressures of the job and the “dangerous, morally ambiguous world of the streets” can lead to normalization of unethical behavior. Abramson & Denenberg +6
Types of corruption range from accepting free meals (corruption of authority) to direct, organized criminal activity.
Mafia corruption is primarily driven by the pursuit of profit, power, and immunity, using bribery, intimidation, and extortion to infiltrate legitimate businesses and public institutions
. It thrives on weak state capacity, exploiting social inequality and using voter manipulation to secure political influence, which in turn protects illegal activities. 
Taylor & Francis Online +4
Key Drivers of Mafia Corruption:
- Economic Gain & Infiltration: Mafia groups corrupt officials to facilitate criminal activities like smuggling and to gain control over public contracts, particularly in construction and real estate.
- Immunity and Protection: Bribes are used to corrupt law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges to avoid detection, investigation, and conviction.
- Weak State/Institutional Fragility: In areas with poor governance or high economic inequality, the mafia steps in as a “protector” or regulator of illegal markets, filling the void left by the state.
- Political Influence: Through vote-buying and financial backing, the mafia influences elections to ensure officials who are friendly to their interests remain in power.
- “Privatized” Security and Reputation: Mafia reputation as a credible enforcer allows them to charge for protection (extortion) and settle disputes outside the legal system, reducing the need for visible violence.
CEPR +8
Common Methods:
- Bribery: Paying off police, politicians, and inspectors.
- Extortion: Threatening businesses to pay for “protection”.
- Labor Racketeering: Infiltrating unions to embezzle funds and control jobs.
- White-Collar Collusion: Partnering with professionals for money laundering and fraudulent investments.
Gangs drive corruption primarily to facilitate illegal profit, evade law enforcement detection, and solidify territorial control through the bribery or intimidation of public officials, police, and judicial systems
. Corruption acts as a crucial tool for smuggling and securing illicit goods, fueled by the need to operate with impunity. 
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) +3
Key drivers behind gang-related corruption include:
- Enabling Criminal Operations: Corrupt officials provide forged permits, fake visas, or falsified documents necessary for smuggling goods, such as fuel, narcotics, or weapons.
- Obstruction of Justice: Gangs bribe or intimidate police and prosecutors to ensure investigations are dropped or to receive advance warnings of raids, making their activities invisible.
- Profit Maximization: Corruption allows gangs to secure lucrative contracts, protect their illicit businesses, and extort money, often in weak-state environments where public officials are underpaid or corruptible.
- Territorial Control: Gangs use corruption to gain influence over local authorities, ensuring police turn a blind eye to their violent, illegal operations and territorial disputes.
- Infiltration of Security Forces: Transnational gangs, like MS-13, actively target law enforcement to gain protection and intelligence, using intimidation if bribery fails. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) +5
This symbiotic relationship destroys public trust, compromises safety, and allows gangs to operate as shadow governance in vulnerable communities.
Cartel violence is driven by a complex interplay of economic incentives, territorial competition, and the systemic consequences of government intervention.
Core Drivers of Violence
- Territorial Control (Turf Wars): Cartels function as “narco-governments” that must control physical geography to secure production sites, trafficking routes, and shipping ports. Violence erupts when rivals attempt to expand into or seize these “plazas”.
- Fragmentation and Succession: Government “kingpin” strategies—targeting and removing top leaders—often backfire by creating power vacuums. This leads to internal infighting among lieutenants and the splintering of large cartels into smaller, more aggressive “franchises” that fight for survival.
- Enforcement of Illegal Contracts: Because their business is illicit, cartels cannot use legal systems to resolve disputes or enforce agreements. Violence serves as the primary tool for contract enforcement, punishing “skimmers,” and deterring betrayal.
- Shock Tactics and Social Control: Extreme brutality (e.g., public displays of bodies) is often a calculated “branding” effort to spread terror. It serves to deter whistleblowers, silence journalists, and force local populations into compliance or “taxes” (extortion).
Reddit +9
Contributing External Factors
- High Profitability: The immense revenue from drugs like fentanyl—which is cheap to produce and highly potent—increases the stakes of competition.
- Weaponry Supply: A significant flow of high-powered, military-grade firearms from the United States allows cartels to match or exceed the firepower of state security forces.
- Impunity and Corruption: Weak judicial systems and high levels of corruption among local and federal officials allow cartels to operate with minimal fear of legal consequences.
- Militarization: The recruitment of former elite military personnel (such as the original Zetas or Colombian mercenaries) introduced military doctrines and tactics into criminal warfare, escalating the scale of conflict. Reddit +5
Would you like to explore how specific recent arrests have impacted current levels of violence in Mexico?
Cartel corruption is driven by a combination of immense financial power, extreme violence (“plata o plomo” – silver or lead), and weak institutional frameworks that allow criminal networks to infiltrate government, law enforcement, and economic sectors
. This corruption is not just about bribing officials, but about creating “collusion networks” that enable, protect, and normalize illegal operations. 
Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) +3
Key drivers of cartel corruption include:
- Enormous Financial Resources: With annual incomes estimated between $35 billion and $60 billion, cartels have enough capital to corrupt judges, police, and politicians at every level.
- “Plata o Plomo” (Silver or Lead): Cartels offer public officials, police, and journalists a choice: accept bribes (“silver”) or face violence and death (“lead”).
- Weak Judicial and Law Enforcement Institutions:Low conviction rates for public servants accused of ties to organized crime create a culture of impunity. In many cases, entire police agencies have been compromised, making them act as enforcers for criminal groups.
- Systemic Political Collusion: Cartels often work to put officials they control into power to ensure protection. This has historical roots in the 71-year reign of the PRI in Mexico, where tacit agreements between state and traffickers were common.
- Infiltration of Legitimate Businesses: Cartels use front companies, shell businesses, and coercive tactics to blend illicit cash flows into the legal economy, such as in the agricultural or logistics sectors.
- Economic Disparity and Unemployment: Poverty and lack of opportunities make it easier for cartels to recruit young people and secure the support of local populations.
- Demand for Illicit Drugs: The high demand for drugs in the United States and other countries keeps the trafficking business highly profitable, sustaining the funds available for corruption.
- Control over Territories: By controlling specific areas, cartels can levy “taxes” (derecho de piso) on local businesses, forcing them to pay for protection, further entrenching their power.
Council on Foreign Relations +11
These factors turn cartels into “state-like” actors that operate within or alongside the government to secure their economic interests.
Cartel corruption is primarily driven by a strategic “invest in corruption” model where criminal organizations trade vast sums of money for state protection, operational impunity, and market control
. This cycle is sustained by several reinforcing factors: 
Small Wars Journal
1. Financial Leverage and “Plata o Plomo”
- Vast Profits: With annual revenues estimated between $35 billion and $60 billion, cartels can easily outspend local and state governments to buy loyalty.
- Coercion Tactics: Corruption is often enforced through the “Plata o Plomo” (silver or lead) ultimatum—officials must either accept a bribe or face death for themselves or their families.
- Systemic Infiltration: Cartels target high-ranking officials, such as former Mexican Secretary of Public Security Genaro García Luna, who was convicted of taking millions in bribes to protect the Sinaloa Cartel.
Cato Institute +3
2. Strategic Institutional Capture
- Narcopolitica: Cartels often move beyond simple bribery to actively placing their own allies in power through campaign contributions and political assassinations of uncooperative candidates.
- Police and Military Infiltration: Low-level and high-level security forces are frequently co-opted to provide safe passage for shipments, share intelligence, or even eliminate rival gang members.
- Judicial Impunity: Corruption in the judiciary allows cartels to operate with minimal risk of conviction, leading to very low prosecution rates for high-level figures. Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) +4
3. Economic and Social Drivers
- Alternative Employment: In regions with high poverty and unemployment, cartels function as major employers, providing livelihoods that can foster local community support and complicate government crackdowns.
- Diversification into Licit Markets: Cartels have infiltrated legitimate industries like avocado farming, logging, and fuel, using “derecho de piso” (protection fees) to extort businesses and manipulate local economies.
- Money Laundering Networks: Corruption is facilitated by front companies, shell corporations, and sometimes complicit financial institutions that allow illicit funds to blend into the legal economy. Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) +5
4. External Pressures
- Global Demand: The “insatiable” international demand for drugs (particularly in the U.S.) ensures a continuous flow of capital that funds these corruption networks.
- Arms Trafficking: High volumes of illegal firearms smuggled from the U.S. provide cartels with the firepower to intimidate and overpower state security forces. Reddit +3
Are you looking for information on specific anti-corruption strategies or the impact of these cartels on international business compliance?
Written By BMCDavidMicharlRamsey The 374thSurfman USCoastGuard with over 30 years experience in this shit all for you AnnaPaulinaLuna
David Michael Ramsey (503)298-0592 blacknbluepb@yahoo.com Surfman374 Instagram YouTube Threads Rumble David Ramsey LinkedIn David Michael Ramsey Facebook Corpus Christi Texas
Gangs and corruption are fueled by a cycle where each feeds the other to ensure the survival and growth of criminal enterprises
. Corruption acts as a primary tool for gangs to neutralize legal threats, while gangs provide the incentives and pressurethat lead to systemic corruption. 
Small Wars Journal +4
Primary Drivers of Gang-Related Corruption
- Protection from Prosecution: Gangs use bribery and intimidation to influence law enforcement, judicial systems, and public officials. This ensures that their members avoid arrest or receive lighter sentences, creating a climate of impunity.
- Infiltration of the State: In regions with weak institutional oversight, gangs seek to penetrate the state apparatus. By corrupting officials, they can gain access to sensitive information, influence policy, and even direct public resources toward their own interests.
- Facilitating Illicit Markets: Corruption is essential for the movement of illegal goods. Gangs bribe customs and port officials to facilitate the trafficking of drugs, firearms, and human beingsacross borders.
- Money Laundering: To legitimize their profits, gangs infiltrate legal businesses and financial institutions. Corrupting bank employees or regulators allows them to “clean” dirty money through the formal economy.
- Weak State Capacity: When a government fails to provide basic security or public goods, a “governance vacuum” is created. Gangs step in as parallel authorities, often corrupting remaining local officials to maintain their control over the community. Small Wars Journal +8
Factors That Allow Corruption to Thrive
- Economic Inequality: High levels of poverty and a lack of legitimate jobs make public officials more susceptible to bribes, while providing gangs with a steady stream of recruits seeking financial gain.
- Legal Discrepancies: Differences in laws between countries create opportunities for transnational gangs to exploit “criminogenic asymmetries,” using corruption to bridge these gaps for smuggling operations.
- Social Isolation: Communities that feel abandoned or mistreated by the state (e.g., due to police brutality) are more likely to rely on gangs, which can lead to localized corruption where the community protects the gang from the law. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) +4
Consequences of This Relationship
The link between gangs and corruption generates a downward spiral for society:
- Eroded Public Trust: Corruption weakens faith in government and the rule of law.
- Increased Poverty: Corrupt diversion of public funds from health and education into criminal hands deepens economic hardship.
- Cyclical Violence: As gangs become more powerful through corruption, they engage in violent turf wars and community intimidation to maintain their status. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) +3
Are you researching the impact of gang corruption on a specific region, or are you looking for prevention strategies used by international organizations?
Mafia corruption is primarily driven by the pursuit of
monopoly control and risk mitigation. By corrupting public and private institutions, organized crime groups transform high-risk illegal activities into stable, protected business ventures.
Primary Drivers of Mafia Corruption
- Neutralizing Law Enforcement: The most immediate driver is the need for “immunity” from arrest and prosecution. By bribing police officers, judges, and prosecutors, the Mafia ensures their operations can continue without interference. In extreme cases, they use “mafia cops” to gain access to confidential surveillance, wiretaps, and informant lists.
- Economic Monopoly: Corruption allows the Mafia to eliminate competition and control entire commercial sectors. They often target industries with decentralized structures—such as construction, garbage collection, and trucking—where they can infiltrate labor unions to embezzle funds and extort employers through threats of strikes.
- State Capture and Resource Access: In many regions, the Mafia seeks to “capture” the state to influence public decision-making. This enables them to secure lucrative government contracts, administrative permits, and public utility agreements.
- Political Influence & Vote Trading: During election periods, the Mafia often provides candidates with campaign funding or “guaranteed” blocks of votes through intimidation and social control. In return, elected officials provide political protection and favorable legislation.
- Money Laundering Infrastructure: To convert “dirty” money into usable assets, the Mafia corrupts financial institutions and legitimate businesses. This allows them to mingle illicit proceeds with legal revenue, effectively masking the money trail from regulators. Wikipedia +13
Institutional & Social Enablers
- Weak State Institutions: Organizations like the Sicilian Mafia originally formed in areas where the central state was dysfunctional or absent, stepping in as an “alternative” provider of security and contract enforcement.
- Systemic Complicity: Over time, the motivation for corruption often shifts from fear to complicity. Businesses and officials may willingly collaborate with the Mafia because it offers “stability” or a competitive advantage in a corrupt system.
- Omertà (Code of Silence): The cultural and social pressure to never cooperate with authorities protects corrupt networks from being dismantled. CEPR +7
Would you like to explore specific historical casesof Mafia infiltration in a particular industry, or look into the legal tools like the RICO Act used to combat this?
I’m The 374th Surfman USCG 