Mexico has been plunged into a wave of retaliatory violence following the death of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, the founder and leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The 59-year-old, considered the last of Mexico’s major drug lords, was killed in a military operation on Sunday, February 22, 2026, triggering a coordinated response from his cartel that has spread across the country.
The Operation That Felled a Kingpin
Mexican military forces targeted Oseguera in Tapalpa, a town in the western state of Jalisco. The army reported that the cartel leader was wounded during the raid and later died while being transported by air to Mexico City. The operation resulted in seven criminals killed, three soldiers wounded, and two cartel members arrested. Authorities seized a significant arsenal, including rocket launchers capable of downing aircraft.
While the Mexican army stated it conducted the operation alone, it acknowledged receiving “complementary information” from the United States. U.S. officials hailed the killing as a “major victory.” The event underscores the ongoing pressure from the U.S. for more direct involvement in Mexico’s drug war, a proposition Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has consistently rejected.
Nationwide Retaliation and Carnage
The announcement of El Mencho’s death was met with immediate and widespread violence suspected to be orchestrated by the CJNG. Incidents were reported in 20 of Mexico’s 31 states.
- Security Forces Targeted: At least 25 National Guard members, a security agent, and a prosecutor’s office official were murdered in cartel attacks.
- Economic Sabotage: Cartel members set up over 229 roadblocks and torched vehicles, stores, gas stations, and banks. The popular tourist destination of Puerto Vallarta saw businesses set ablaze.
- Urban Paralysis: Guadalajara, Mexico’s third-largest city and the capital of Jalisco state, was effectively shut down. Panic spread at the city’s airport, though officials later attributed scenes of chaos to “psychosis” among passengers.
The Mexican government deployed an additional 2,500 soldiers to the western region and suspended in-person classes in at least eight states.
International Warnings and Border Alerts
The escalating crisis has prompted urgent international advisories.
- France: Urged its citizens in Jalisco and several other states to “exercise the utmost caution, remain confined,” and avoid all non-essential travel.
- United States: Told citizens in areas including Cancun, Guadalajara, and Oaxaca to “shelter in place until further notice.” Multiple U.S. airlines canceled dozens of flights to Mexican cities.
- Guatemala: The neighboring country placed its military and police on alert and reinforced surveillance along its border with Mexico, fearing cartel members might seek refuge or that internal power struggles could spill over.
The Violent Legacy of “El Mencho”
Nemesio Oseguera’s rise from a poor family in Michoacán to the head of Mexico’s most powerful cartel was marked by extreme violence. After being deported from the U.S., where he served time for heroin trafficking, he founded the CJNG in 2009. The cartel quickly gained notoriety for its brazen attacks on authorities, including a 2020 ambush that wounded Mexico City’s current security chief, Omar García Harfuch. His death leaves a power vacuum at the top of a criminal empire known for its militarized tactics, ensuring the security crisis gripping Mexico is far from over.
