Mexico’s army announced on Sunday that it had killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, the feared leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during a military operation in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco state.
The 59-year-old drug lord, who carried a $15 million US bounty on his head, was wounded in the clash and died while being airlifted to Mexico City, according to the official statement.
The raid was supported by Mexican military intelligence and “complementary information” from US authorities, the army said. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Washington provided intelligence support for the operation.
Six suspected cartel gunmen were killed alongside Oseguera, while three soldiers were wounded. Authorities seized a cache of weapons, including rocket launchers capable of downing aircraft and destroying armored vehicles. Two cartel suspects were arrested.
The killing of one of Mexico’s most powerful drug lords—comparable to the capture of Sinaloa Cartel founders Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán and Ismael Zambada—sparked immediate retaliatory violence across the country. Gunmen blocked more than 20 roads in western Jalisco, burning vehicles and trucks. At least eight states suspended in-person classes, and the judiciary authorised judges to close courts where necessary.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged citizens to remain calm amid the unrest. In Jalisco, which is scheduled to host four 2026 World Cup matches, all large crowd events were cancelled. The streets of Guadalajara, the state capital, were largely deserted as businesses shuttered.
Maria Medina, a gas station worker whose workplace was set ablaze, recounted how armed men ordered everyone out. “I thought they were going to kidnap us. I ran to a taco stand to take cover with the people there,” she told AFP.
Violence also spread to neighbouring Michoacán—where the CJNG has a strong presence—and the resort city of Puerto Vallarta. Guatemala reinforced strategic sections of its border with Mexico due to recent cross-border incursions linked to cartel groups.
The CJNG, formed in 2009, has been designated a terrorist organisation by the United States and is accused of trafficking cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the US. US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau welcomed the operation, calling Oseguera “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins” and describing his death as “a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world.”
The raid occurred amid intense pressure from US President Donald Trump on Mexico to curb the flow of drugs—particularly fentanyl—into the United States. Trump has repeatedly threatened tariffs on Mexican exports, arguing that President Sheinbaum has not done enough to combat the drug trade.
Following Sunday’s violence, the US State Department urged American citizens in large parts of Mexico to “shelter in place until further notice.” Canada issued travel warnings for Jalisco, Guerrero, and Michoacán, citing shootouts and explosions. Several US and Canadian airlines cancelled dozens of flights to Mexico, with some disruptions expected to continue into Monday.
