Mexican and U.S. authorities have intensified joint operations against major cartels in 2026, with recent arrests targeting mid- and regional-level figures from Sinaloa Cartel factions including Los Chapitos and Los Mayos, alongside the February killing of CJNG leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho. Coordinated actions by Mexico’s SSPC, SEDENA, and FGR, supported by DEA intelligence and extradition requests, produced multiple detentions in September such as Edgar Valeriano “Kamoni” and Jesús Antonio “El Peli,” while U.S. Treasury sanctions in late September targeted leadership networks around Ismael Zambada Sicairos. Ongoing bilateral pressure, reward programs, and focus on fentanyl trafficking routes continue to shape enforcement priorities through year-end.