What’s Happening in North America?

North America has been dominating headlines in recent weeks — from escalating gang violence in Mexico to the release of the Epstein files, President Trump’s sweeping new tariff plans and most recently the US-Israel-Iran conflict. With so much breaking at once, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. This overview cuts through the noise to explain what’s actually happening across the continent.

Mexico – The Murder of El Mencho

What: On the 22nd of February 2026, the Mexican military killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC) in an attempt to capture him alive. After a firefight broke out, the drug lord was seriously wounded and died in transportation to Mexico City.
Who: Age 59, ‘El Mencho’ was one of the most wanted fugitives in the US and was known as the most powerful cartel boss at the time of his death. He was infamous for his drug trafficking network and military style operations.
The Aftermath: The death triggered a ‘nationwide cartel retaliation’, involving blockades, the burning of vehicles, shootings and many more mass acts of violence which have led to the shut down of schools and airports, leaving tourists and locals trapped in place.

The Epstein Files

What: The Epstein Files are over 3 million pages of documents, 180,000 images and 2,000 videos which tell the stories of Jeffery Epstein’s criminal activities.
Who: Jeffery Epstein was a convicted sex offender and financier who operated a trafficking network of underage girls. He had strong relationships with powerful figures globally in finance, business, politics and more.
The contents: The files name high profile figures such as Donald Trump, Elon Musk and (the now-former) Prince Andrew. Whilst the presence of the names does not imply criminal activity, the reputational and political consequences have meant leaders have stepped down, global institutions have faced scrutiny and the loss of titles.
Trump: His appearances in the files, sits along side his existing criminal cases, and his role as former/current U.S. President. This shows a complex legal and political landscape as the two men were friends for over 15 years.

Trumps 10% Tariffs

What: Trump imposed a 10% tariffs on most U.S. imports, put in place under the Trade Act of 1974 after the Supreme Court struck down the earlier decided tariffs. These were replaced to maintain Trump’s trade pressure strategy and project economic toughness.
Who: These applied to most imported products to the U.S. therefore affecting the global economy and the citizens of the States. The 6 exempt countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, Israel and Singapore) were names as ‘trusted partners’ with strong defence ties and favourable trade balances.
The Aftermath: Over 1,000 companies filed lawsuits seeking refunds for previously paid tariffs, global trade tensions rose and some countries shifted more commerce towards China to avoid U.S. exposure.

US-Israel-Iran Conflict

What: The US and Israel have launched major strikes on Iran, killing their Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei and hitting military sites. Iran retaliated with large scale missile and drone attacks, with other Iran backed groups such as the Hezbollah, firing rockets into Israel. At the moment, Iranian casualties exceed 550 people.
Why: This is because of long-standing hostility between the countries, particularly over Iran’s nuclear programme. The US aimed to weaken Irans leadership.
The aftermath (so far): Wider regional conflict across areas like Iraq and Saudi Arabia, an economic shock with oil prices surging amid fears of supply disruption, a refusal of negotiations from Iran and a growing humanitarian crisis.
What next: We can expect further retaliation from Iran, aimed at Gulf nations and the US military bases, further attacks on critical infrastructure, further economic effects and a ‘diplomatic paralysis’.