Part 4/11:
When a cartel leader is captured or killed, an immediate power vacuum often ensues. Instead of leading to the organization's collapse, this vacuum frequently results in the fragmentation of the cartel into smaller, more violent factions. For example, the arrest of El Chapo in 2019 was followed by violent turf wars and the emergence of new leaders like El Harinero, a notorious lieutenant of the CJNG cartel. His rise exemplifies how these vacuums tend to facilitate the emergence of more brutal, decentralized structures that are agile and less visible.