WASHINGTON — The death on Wednesday of Mexican drug kingpin Arturo Beltran Leyva, who claimed to be the “boss of bosses”, may be a big victory for the Mexican and American governments, but it certainly won’t spell the end to the violent grip the cartels have on the country.
In fact, it could end up creating a power struggle that may only mean more violence.
“It’s an important step but, at the end of the day, you’re not going to reduce the market,” Alberto Islas, a Mexico City-based security analyst told the Los Angeles Times. “You take out one guy and somebody else will take his place. But this is violent.”
Mexican and American officials hailed the death of the kingpin, who was fatally shot during an intense gunfight with Mexican naval commandos.
“This action represents an important achievement for the people and government of Mexico and a heavy blow against one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in Mexico,” President Felipe Calderon said, according to the Times.
“His death has dealt a crippling blow to one of the most violent cartels in the world,” said Michele Leonhart, acting director of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
To Read the full Los Angeles Times Story click here.
