A significant portion of the book analyzes how literature, film, and TV shows like Narcos , Sicario , and The Queen of the South reinforce these government-led myths. Zavala argues that these works:

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: Zavala posits that the "cartel" is a mythical entity created by the Mexican and U.S. governments to depoliticize state violence and mask political failures. By framing the problem as a war against a monolithic, externalized enemy, the state justifies permanent military intervention.