Mexico descended into chaos on February 22, 2026, after security forces killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
The 59-year-old drug lord died during a Mexican special forces raid in Tapalpa, Jalisco. Wounded in a fierce shootout, El Mencho succumbed to his injuries while being airlifted to Mexico City. Four other cartel members were killed on site, two more arrested, and authorities seized armored vehicles, rocket launchers, and weapons. The operation received critical U.S. intelligence support, delivering a major win against one of the world’s most powerful and violent cartels.
El Mencho, with a $15 million U.S. bounty on his head, built the CJNG into a fentanyl-trafficking powerhouse known for extreme brutality, drone attacks, and nationwide reach.
Retaliation was swift and widespread. Within hours, CJNG gunmen launched “narco-blockades” across Jalisco and beyond. They hijacked buses, trucks, and cars, set them ablaze, and used the burning wreckage to seal off highways. Thick columns of smoke rose over Guadalajara and the tourist hub of Puerto Vallarta, where a Costco store and gas stations were also torched. Similar scenes unfolded in Michoacán, Colima, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Zacatecas, Guerrero, Tamaulipas, and up to 13 states total.
Schools across Jalisco were canceled for Monday. Flights to Puerto Vallarta were suspended, with panicked crowds fleeing airports. Public transport ground to a halt in affected cities.
U.S. and Canadian governments issued urgent shelter-in-place alerts for citizens in Jalisco (including Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, and Chapala), Tamaulipas, parts of Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León. Airlines including Air Canada canceled services as smoke and blockades disrupted travel.
President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the military but urged calm, warning of possible further unrest as the cartel faces a leadership vacuum.
The killing marks the biggest cartel blow since “El Chapo” Guzmán’s capture, yet experts caution that such operations often spark bloody succession wars. As of early February 23, security forces continue restoring order, but the situation remains volatile.