海角大神

Mexican authorities Wednesday captured the second cartel kingpin in the span of a week, good news for President Enrique Pe帽a Nieto, who is struggling with voter anger over his handling of drug-related violence in parts of the country.

But the back-to-back, high-profile arrests are mostly a coincidence, analysts say, and will do little to curb violence in the long term.

鈥淯ntil there鈥檚 a real change in government strategy [to combat criminal organizations], this growing list of captures means little 鈥� for security,鈥� says Erubiel Tirado, a security expert at the Iberoamerican University in Mexico City.

On Feb. 27, Mexico caught its most wanted drug lord, former primary school teacher Servando 鈥淟a Tuta鈥� Gomez. He was the head of the Knights Templar, a criminal organization that controls large parts of the western state of Michoacan and has been in conflict with local vigilante groups.

Just five days later, Mexican police and soldiers arrested Omar Trevi帽o Morales. Also known as Z42, Mr. Trevi帽o Morales led the Zetas, considered Mexico鈥檚 most brutal criminal organization and known for vicious tactics like beheadings and the mass killing of migrants.

These 鈥済ets鈥� top off a list of other high-profile arrests since President Pe帽a Nieto took office, including the 2014 capture of Joaquin 鈥淓l Chapo鈥� Guzman, head of the Sinaloa Cartel.

鈥淭his arrest strengthens the rule of law in the country as we continue to advance to a Mexico at peace,鈥� Pe帽a Nieto tweeted of Trevi帽o Morales鈥� capture.

Tirado says there鈥檚 merit to putting high profile criminals behind bars. But unless the official corruption that abets Mexico's web of criminal syndicates is tackled, the gains will prove fleeting.

鈥淭he news of a kingpin capture is good, but it鈥檚 better if his accomplices are then targeted as well,鈥� he says, referring to corrupt police and soldiers, or businessmen who launder cartel money. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l notice, when the government makes these announcements they aren鈥檛 followed up by other related arrests or other lines of investigations.鈥�

Pe帽a Nieto鈥檚 strategy has that weakness in common with his predecessors Felipe Calderon and Vicente Fox, from the National Action Party (PAN). All three appear to believe that chopping off the head of an organization would lead it to crumble.

But the Zetas are a good example of how capturing a kingpin only goes so far. Trevi帽o Gomez took over the organization from his brother, and now to step into the top role.

Pe帽a Nieto鈥檚 approval ratings dropped to 39 percent in December, according to a poll by Mexican newspaper Reforma. It鈥檚 the lowest level for any Mexican president since the mid-1990s. Public support took a big hit in September, due in large part to how his government responded to the disappearance of 43 teaching students in Guerrero state. His credibility was further hit by a home-purchase corruption scandal.