Mexico Is on Edge After the Killing of a Cartel Boss
#Mexico cartel#El Mencho#Jalisco New Generation Cartel#Military raid#Drug violence#President Sheinbaum#CIA intelligence
📌 Key Takeaways
Mexican military killed cartel leader 'El Mencho' in a raid yesterday
Cartel followers retaliated with attacks on security forces and road blockades
25 national guard members were killed in the operation aided by CIA intelligence
The death represents a major victory for President Sheinbaum's anti-cartel strategy
Experts expect the cartel to continue operating despite leadership change
📖 Full Retelling
Mexican military forces killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as 'El Mencho' and leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in a raid yesterday across Mexico, which prompted violent retaliation from cartel members attacking security forces and blocking roads in response to the government's aggressive offensive against organized crime. The violence erupted over the weekend as followers of the slain cartel boss attacked government security forces, blocked major thoroughfares, and set fire to businesses, creating chaos particularly in Guadalajara where schools, gas stations, and supermarkets remained closed. Videos circulating online documented the spread of violence throughout affected regions, with reporters noting that normally congested streets had nearly empty stretches of asphalt and a charred bus lying on its side near the airport, still smelling of smoke. Twenty-five members of the national guard were killed during the operation that successfully located Oseguera by tracking one of his romantic partners, with assistance from CIA intelligence gathering. The operation represents a significant victory for President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has pursued a more aggressive anti-cartel strategy than her predecessor, and may help alleviate pressure from President Trump, who has been threatening military strikes in Mexico and demanding stronger action against criminal organizations.
🏷️ Themes
Organized Crime, Military Operations, Political Implications
Raiding, also known as depredation, is a military tactic or operational warfare "smash and grab" mission which has a specific purpose. Raiders do not capture and hold a location, but quickly retreat to a previous defended position before enemy forces can respond in a coordinated manner or formulate ...
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes (Latin American Spanish: [neˈmesio oseˈɣeɾa seɾˈβantes]; 17 July 1966 – 22 February 2026), commonly referred to by his alias El Mencho ([el ˈmentʃo]), was a Mexican drug lord and top leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), an organized crime group based i...
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (Spanish: Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, pronounced [ˈkaɾtel ðe xaˈlisko ˈnweβa xeneɾaˈsjon]), or CJNG, is a Mexican criminal syndicate, based in Jalisco and headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Mencho"). The cartel has been characterized by extreme violen...
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Original Source
Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Newsletter The Evening Mexico Is on Edge After the Killing of a Cartel Boss Also, a blizzard sweeps through the Northeast. Here’s the latest at the end of Monday. Share full article By Matthew Cullen Feb. 23, 2026, 6:01 p.m. ET Many people in Mexico awoke today with unease. Violence erupted across the country over the weekend after the leader of the nation’s most powerful criminal organization was killed yesterday in a Mexican military raid. Followers of the cartel boss attacked government security forces, blocked roads and set fire to stores. Videos show how the violence spread . Order appeared to be largely restored by this afternoon. But schools, gas stations and supermarkets remained closed today in Guadalajara, a city near the epicenter of the chaos. “Normally clogged thoroughfares had nearly empty stretches of asphalt,” our reporter there, Paulina Villegas Vargas, said. “Along the main highway near the airport, a charred bus lay on its side, its metal frame still smelling of smoke.” Airlines and bus companies canceled routes, trapping tourists in beach destinations like Puerto Vallarta . They were told to shelter in place. Twenty-five members of the national guard were killed in the operation targeting Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes — who went by “El Mencho” and was widely regarded as one of the country’s most violent criminal figures. Officials said they had located Oseguera, who led the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, by tracking one of his romantic partners. They were also aided by C.I.A. intelligence. Here’s what we know about the operation. Oseguera’s death was a major victory for President Claudia Sheinbaum, who, unlike her predecessor, has mounted an aggressive offensive against the cartels. It could also help reduce pressure from President Trump, who has been threatening strikes in Mexico and demanding a crackdown on the cartels. For more: Most experts expect Oseguera’s cartel to live on . A blizzard slams the North...
