The Mexican military killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel on Sunday in a raid in western Mexico, setting off a wave of violence that prompted governments in Jalisco and several neighboring states — as well as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries — to issue shelter-in-place orders and travel warnings.
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” was wounded during a military operation in the town of Tapalpa, in Jalisco state, and died while being airlifted to Mexico City. He had been one of the world’s most-wanted drug traffickers, with a U.S. bounty of up to $15 million on his head.
The operation was carried out by the Mexican Army, National Guard, and Air Force, with intelligence support from U.S. agencies. Six other cartel members were killed, and two were arrested. Three soldiers were wounded. Authorities seized armored vehicles, rocket launchers, and other weapons.
The cartel’s response was swift. Gunmen torched buses, cars, and businesses, blocking highways across nearly a dozen states. Guadalajara, Jalisco’s capital and a city slated to host matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, emptied out as residents stayed indoors. Smoke was visible rising over Puerto Vallarta, the popular Pacific coast resort city. Delta, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, and Air Canada all canceled flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus declared a Code Red and suspended public transportation. He urged residents to remain at home until further notice. The governor of neighboring Nayarit, Miguel Ángel Navarro, issued a similar warning. Governors of Michoacán, Colima, and Tamaulipas also reported blockades and arson but stopped short of shelter-in-place orders, instead asking residents to monitor official channels. By early afternoon Sunday, Guanajuato reported its blockades had been cleared.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico told citizens via social media to shelter in place in Jalisco — including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara — as well as in parts of Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León. Canada told its citizens in Jalisco to “keep a low profile” and follow local authorities. The U.K. Embassy updated its Mexico travel guidance, warning against all but essential travel to parts of southern Jalisco and 11 municipalities in the north of the state. Australia and India also issued security alerts to their nationals in Mexico.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau welcomed the operation, calling Oseguera “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins” and saying the killing was “a great development for Mexico, the U.S., Latin America, and the world.”
President Claudia Sheinbaum praised Mexican security forces and called for calm. She has faced sustained pressure from the Trump administration to show results against drug trafficking since Trump took office last year. In February, the Trump administration formally designated the CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization.
The CJNG was co-founded by Oseguera around 2007 and grew into what the FBI and DEA consider Mexico’s most powerful trafficking organization, with a presence in all 50 U.S. states. The cartel is responsible for moving large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl into the United States. It is known for particularly aggressive tactics, including attacks on military helicopters and the use of explosive-laden drones.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Mexico City noted that there is “no obvious successor” to Oseguera, a situation that could trigger internal power struggles within the cartel. The Yucatán Peninsula, while largely insulated from CJNG activity, has not been entirely immune to the broader expansion of organized crime in Mexico — as recent incidents in eastern Yucatán have illustrated.
As of Sunday evening, the situation in several states remained fluid.
What you need to know
- El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed Feb. 22 in a Mexican Army operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco
- The U.S. had offered a $15 million bounty for information leading to his arrest
- Cartel reprisals triggered road blockades, arson, and unrest across nearly a dozen Mexican states
- The U.S. Embassy issued shelter-in-place orders for Americans in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, parts of Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León
- Canada, the U.K., Australia, and India also issued security alerts for their nationals
- Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus declared a Code Red and suspended public transportation
- Multiple airlines, including Delta, American, Alaska, and Air Canada, canceled flights to Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta
- The CJNG was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. in February 2026
- No obvious successor to Oseguera has been named, raising the possibility of further instability within the cartel