Mexico’s most wanted drug lord, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho,” has been killed in a military operation. But his Jalisco New Generation cartel, known as CJNG, has responded with a wave of violence across eight states, setting cars on fire, blocking roads, and attacking security forces.
In Jalisco state, four CJNG members were killed during the initial clashes and three army personnel were injured. The US State Department issued a shelter-in-place warning for US citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, and parts of Michoacan, Guerrero, and Nuevo Leon. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo urged people to stay calm, writing on X that “in most parts of the country, activities are proceeding normally.”
Thousands of tourists were left stranded in the popular coastal city of Puerto Vallarta. According to the BBC, the governor of Jalisco advised residents to stay home and suspended public transport across the state. Major airlines including United Airlines, American Airlines, and Air Canada canceled flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.
El Mencho’s death marks one of the most significant moments in the history of drug trafficking
El Mencho, a 59-year-old former police officer, ran a large criminal organization that trafficked cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the US. The US State Department had offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture. The Mexican defense ministry confirmed he died on Sunday while being transported to Mexico City, after being wounded during clashes between his supporters and the army.
The operation was “planned and executed” by Mexico’s special forces, with support from the Mexican Air Force, the National Guard, and US intelligence. Authorities seized armored vehicles and weapons including rocket launchers during the raid.
Former US Ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau called El Mencho “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins,” saying his death was “a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world.” Tensions in the wider region remain high, as US jets have been flooding a Jordan base amid Iran strike talks.
Mike Vigil, former Chief of International Operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, called the operation “one of the most significant actions undertaken in the history of drug trafficking.” The CJNG, which started in Jalisco in 2010, is considered a fierce rival to the Sinaloa cartel and operates across all of Mexico. It is known for brutal tactics, including shooting down an army helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade and hanging victims from bridges.
The cartel is also a key supplier of fentanyl to the US. Figures from US Customs and Border Patrol show that since October 2024, 9,200 pounds of fentanyl have been seized in the US, with 96% intercepted at the southwest border with Mexico.
El Mencho’s death is seen as a major win for President Sheinbaum and could strengthen her relationship with President Trump, who has previously threatened to target cartels on Mexican soil. In January 2024, Trump said “we are going to start now hitting land,” and claimed “the cartels are running Mexico.”
Sheinbaum has previously stated that a US troop deployment across the border was “not on the table.” Meanwhile, Trump’s trade policies continue to cause economic strain, as tariffs tripling costs for mid-size US businesses are hitting American companies hard, according to a JPMorgan study.
Published: Feb 23, 2026 01:45 pm