The Mexican government has deployed a force of more than 10,000 soldiers across the country to suppress a wave of retaliatory violence which began following the death of the nation’s most-wanted drug lord Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, marking what was likely a massive mobilization of military power.
The leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) was killed Sunday, February 22, 2026, in a high-stakes military operation brought to a close with bullets in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco.
Operation and the Fall of a Kingpin
The 59-year-old kingpin, who had on his head a $15 million bounty from the U.S. government, was tracked to a safe house in a wooded area near Tapalpa through reports of a romantic associate. Special forces encountered fierce resistance at this raid from El Mencho's personal security detail. The gun battle was so intense that it forced a military helicopter into an emergency landing. El Mencho was eventually wounded in the firefight and captured, but he died while being airlifted to Mexico City for medical treatment. The operation, backed by U.S. intelligence but carried out entirely by Mexican federal forces, is the greatest decapitation of a criminal organization since the capture of "El Chapo" Guzmán.
A Nation Under Siege
The news of El Mencho’s death instantly triggered “spasms of violence” in over 20 of Mexico’s 32 states. Cartel operatives began a series of coordinated “narco-blockades” hijacking and torching buses and commercial trucks to close key highways. Black smoke billowed from the tourist hub of Puerto Vallarta and the state capital of Guadalajara, setting flames in businesses, gas stations and pharmacies.
The human toll of the retaliation has been enormous. Omar García Harfuch, the security secretary, confirmed that at least 25 members of the National Guard were killed in six separate ambush attacks. Total deaths from the violence over the weekend amounted to a toll of at least 73 people, including 30 suspected cartel members and several civilians who found themselves caught up in the crossfire.
The Government's Reaction. President Claudia Sheinbaum, under enormous pressure to maintain order in advance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ordered the immediate reinforcement of security forces. Another 2,500 soldiers went to Jalisco Monday, adding up to 10,000 personnel. Among them were Army and National Guard troops. “We are in full coordination with state governments to keep our citizens safe,” President Sheinbaum said.
Most blockades had cleared by late Monday, authorities said, but as the nation looks for a potential CJNG power vacuum, many schools and businesses were still closed. Experts fear that El Mencho’s death a man who controlled his cartel with the total domination of a dictator could trigger a bloody internal division or a fresh assault from the rival Sinaloa Cartel, landing Mexico in a long period of chaos.
