Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar

Episode: 2/23/26: Mexico Cartel Violence Explodes, Big Tech Freaks Over Data Center Backlash
Date: February 23, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode addresses two major stories:

1. The aftermath of the Mexican army’s killing of El Mencho, the notorious cartel leader, and the resulting explosion of cartel violence, political implications, and U.S.-Mexico relations.
2. The growing grassroots backlash in American communities against large-scale tech data centers, with a case study from New Jersey, and a discussion about the broader social, economic, and ideological stakes.

The episode blends on-the-ground analysis, political context, and personal stories, tapping into local and international consequences and debates.

Segment 1: Mexico Cartel Violence Explodes

Guest: Jose Luigi Granados Ceja (Head, Latin America desk, Drop Site News)

The Killing of El Mencho and Its Immediate Impact

• [02:14] The hosts introduce the situation with the Mexican army’s killing of Nemesio Oseguera ("El Mencho"), leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), described as "the biggest fish they could possibly catch" (Jose Luigi Granados Ceja, 03:34).
• The operation resulted in widespread unrest:
  • Road blockades: Over 250 points in 20 states.
  • Public chaos: Torchings, blockades, "ghost town" atmosphere in Guadalajara.
  • Casualties: At least 14 dead, including 7 National Guard troops.
  • Security measures: School cancellations and civilians sheltering.

Quote:

"It can't be overstated how significant, how big of an impact against organized crime groups this...capture and then his subsequent death really is for Mexico."
—Jose Luigi Granados Ceja [03:34]

The Cartel’s Organizational Uniqueness

• CJNG’s structure: More franchise-like, with local factions "paying tribute" but not tightly controlled.
• Their dominance: "Presence quite literally in every corner of this country...rivaling a transnational corporation" (Jose Luigi Granados Ceja, 03:56).
• The violent response: Intended not only as protest but also as a power display in the fight for succession.

Political and Government Calculations

• [06:24] The hosts probe why the Mexican government risked such an operation, knowing violent unrest would follow.
• Decision factors:
  • Timely intelligence (shared with the U.S.) enabled a lower risk capture.
  • A need to send a message of strength to cartels and to the U.S., especially amid U.S. pressures and threats of unilateral action.
  • Efforts to avoid giving the U.S. (Trump, specifically) a rationale for military intervention.

Quote:

"Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said, you can share intelligence, but when it comes to military action, we conduct it because this is our territory."
—Jose Luigi Granados Ceja [08:13]

• Readiness to manage the aftermath: "Now the task is to deal with the fallout...although they've largely been under control. As of yesterday, 90% of all the roadblocks had been stopped..." [08:56].

Media Manipulation and Concerns Over U.S. Intervention

• Fake news and AI-generated images were used to exaggerate the chaos (e.g., fake plane on fire at Guadalajara Airport).
• The hosts and guest discuss how such visuals can be used to justify intervention or question the Mexican government’s ability to maintain control.

Quote:

"They want to sow this kind of sense of a lack of control...to support this argument that it's out of control and the Mexican government can't handle it, but also...to send this message that they are more powerful than perhaps people account for."
—Jose Luigi Granados Ceja [10:06]

The Succession Crisis and Security Outlook

• No clear successor to El Mencho: His closest associates are mostly dead or detained; his son in custody.
• Predicts an internal CJNG power struggle, likely "to do it through violence" [11:48].
• Big test for Mexico’s National Guard and armed forces.

U.S.-Mexico Security Dynamics

• Reluctance in Mexico to publicly acknowledge intelligence-sharing and U.S. support, due to nationalistic sentiment and political sensitivities (Morena party identity).
• Fear of "slippery slope" toward deeper U.S. entanglement.

Quote:

"There's extraordinary amount of information sharing. In fact, more than we probably know...but the Mexican government likes to do things...at the table, behind closed doors."
—Jose Luigi Granados Ceja [13:27]

Mexican Public Opinion and Security Policy

• Claudia Sheinbaum enjoys very high approval ratings (70–80%), buoyed partly by her more aggressive, results-oriented stance on organized crime (vs. Lopez Obrador’s softer approach).
• Slight but measurable increase in public confidence about security due to recent shifts.

Quote:

"We’re seeing a very slight increase...in the ratings when it comes to security here in Mexico because of that small shift, but important shift in her security strategy."
—Jose Luigi Granados Ceja [17:33]

U.S. Tariff Leverage and Cuba

• Brief discussion on whether a Supreme Court decision limiting Trump’s authority to unilaterally levy tariffs will change Mexico’s calculus on shipping oil to Cuba.
• Mexico, under U.S. threat, suspended shipments to avoid severe economic penalties and a possible refugee crisis.

Quote:

"If they don't allow Mexico or any other country to provide oil, then they're going to produce a massive humanitarian crisis, which itself is going to produce a huge refugee crisis which is going to land on your doorstep, United States."
—Jose Luigi Granados Ceja [18:46]

Notable Moments & Timestamps

• Mexican Army's operation and significance: [03:34]
• Decision-making and risk calculation by Mexican government: [07:07–08:56]
• Media manipulation and its political uses: [09:59–11:48]
• Discussion on U.S.-Mexico bilateral cooperation and public sensitivities: [12:16–13:27]
• Shift in Mexican security policy and public reception: [15:07–17:33]
• Cuba, oil, and U.S. tariff threats: [18:02–19:59]

Segment 2: Big Tech’s Data Center Backlash

Guest: Charlie Craddeville (Organizer, Food and Water Watch; Founder, New Brunswick Today)

Organizing Against a Data Center in New Jersey

• [21:53] The hosts introduce Charlie, whose grassroots coalition blocked a 27,000 sq ft data center near homes and businesses in New Brunswick, NJ.
• The campaign:
  • Discovered project only nine days before city council vote.
  • Data center was part of a redevelopment plan with vague, potentially expansive language; risk of unchecked growth if passed.
  • Coalition included students, environmental groups, and local residents.

Quote:

"There's something really special and unique about this campaign...we only had nine days before the city council was supposed to approve it...In those nine days, we were able to build a coalition..."
—Charlie Craddeville [23:21]

Why Oppose Data Centers?

• Harm to local environment and community:
  • "Devastating to ecosystems; noise and pollution can be harmful to humans."
  • "Opposite of job creation...these facilities have very few permanent jobs."
  • Displacement and broken promises from developers.
• Broader context: Data centers linked to AI expansion, which is viewed as further concentrating wealth, fueling misinformation, and not benefiting regular people.

Quote:

"The artificial intelligence industry is famous for replacing human workers with computer technology and putting people out of work. So those arguments don't carry water."
—Charlie Craddeville [25:41]

Local & National Movement

• [26:58] Data center cancellations surged in 2025, quadrupling from the prior year, as local communities push back.
• Local opposition is cross-partisan and rooted in multifaceted frustrations: environmental, economic, civic, and social.

Quote:

"Different people have different reasons for opposing it, but it is definitely something that is widely felt and we're all sort of on the same side..."
—Charlie Craddeville [28:00]

Pushback Against Tech Industry Claims

• VCs tout data centers’ economic benefits (taxes, jobs), but Charlie and the hosts are skeptical:
  • Claims are unsubstantiated in local cases: "Those numbers are kind of made up, right?...The developer never showed up...to explain what they wanted to do or why."
  • Residents were misled about project details.

Existential and Ideological Dimension: Humans vs. Machines

• [32:07] The hosts play a clip of Sam Altman comparing the energy use to train an AI model to raising and educating a human.
• Charlie’s response: This reflects a "coldness...towards society as we know it" and amounts to a power grab by tech elites.

Quote:

“I support the humans over the machines...If we don't want those things in our communities, we have a right to stand up and say no. And it's on them to make the case for why that's going to be good in the long run. And they are not making that case.”
—Charlie Craddeville [35:03]

Memorable Interactions

• The hosts praise Charlie as a "hero" for standing up to powerful interests and defending democratic process and local control.
• Charlie concludes with a message of solidarity:
  "We should defend our communities...If we don't want those things in our communities, we have a right to stand up and say no." [35:03]

Notable Moments & Timestamps

• How campaign unfolded and coalition building: [23:21–25:14]
• Why data center opposition resonates nationally: [26:58–28:00]
• Skepticism toward tech industry claims: [29:32–31:24]
• Sam Altman’s quote and reaction: [32:07–33:03]
• Affirmation of community rights: [35:03–35:35]

Notable Quotes

• Jose Luigi Granados Ceja:
  • "These are wily actors. I mean, how many times did El Chapo escape from custody, right?" [10:17]
• Charlie Craddeville:
  • "I have no, no faith or trust in developers and officials who are going to mislead us." [30:11]
  • "All I can say is, you know, I support the humans over the machines and…we should stick together..." [35:03]
• Breaking Points Host:
  • On tech industry attitudes: "They have the nerve to say how dare you stand against a data center in your community when the ‘deal’…is…we want to suck up the resources, all in service of, of ultimately eliminating your job." [34:10]

Recap: Key Takeaways

• The fallout from the killing of El Mencho underscores the deep influence and organizational agility of Mexico’s cartels, the shadow of U.S. pressure, and the high-stake choices facing Mexico’s leaders.
• Community pushback against data centers isn’t just “NIMBY-ism”—it’s a broad rejection of unchecked tech expansion, both for local and philosophical reasons (job loss, environmental harm, social fabric).
• Technology’s "progress" is increasingly being contested not just on economic or environmental grounds, but on deeply humanistic ones.

For listeners and non-listeners alike, this episode offers a window into the interface of power, resistance, and the future of our societies—across borders and in our own backyards.