 Beginning to doubt "Zeta"'s ability to foster change, Blancornelas considered closing the magazine with his death.Editor Adela Navarro Bello and his son César René Blanco Villalón persuaded him to let the magazine continue, however, and succeeded him as the magazine's co-publishers.Just before his death, Blancornelas speculated that the Tijuana Cartel had placed a US$250,000 bounty on his assassination, and publicly said that he wanted to interview Enedina Arellano Félix, a female drug lord of the cartel, to confirm the information.