Sylvia, a resident of Eztatlán, poses for a portrait with her daughters inside their home damaged by a fire set by teenagers acting on behalf of the local cartel. “They were never messing with the people.”After the killing of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent in 1985, what was then known as the Guadalajara cartel crumbled as its leaders were hunted down. As the fires burned after El Mencho was killed, videos from Etzatlán circulated widely on TikTok and Instagram. AdvertisementVolunteers clean the facade of a family’s historic home damaged by fire in Etzatlán, Jalisco. (Felix Marquez/For The Times)At her home in Etzatlán, María simply shrugged when asked what she thought would happen in the coming days and weeks.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 06, 2026 21:33 UTC