The leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” was killed in a military operation in Mexico on Sunday, February 22, 2026, the Mexican Defence Department announced.
Oseguera Cervantes died even as being transported to Mexico City after being wounded during an attempt to capture him in Tapalpa, Jalisco, approximately two hours southwest of Guadalajara. The operation resulted in the deaths of four other individuals and injuries to three members of the armed forces, according to a statement from the Defence Department. Two additional suspects were arrested, and authorities seized armored vehicles, rocket launchers, and other weaponry.
The death of El Mencho, a major figure in the trafficking of fentanyl and other drugs to the United States, prompted a wave of violence across several Mexican states. Cartel members responded by blocking roads with burning vehicles in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Colima, and Guanajuato, a tactic frequently employed to impede military movements. Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke rising over Puerto Vallarta and scenes of panic at the Guadalajara airport.
In response to the escalating violence, the U.S. State Department issued a shelter-in-place advisory for U.S. Citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León states. Several airlines, including United Airlines, American Airlines, and Air Canada, cancelled flights to and from Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, citing security concerns.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau described El Mencho’s death as a “great development” for Mexico, the U.S., Latin America, and the world, while also expressing sadness and concern over the ensuing violence. The United States had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Oseguera Cervantes’s arrest.
Oseguera Cervantes had a history with the U.S. Justice system, having been convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin in California in 1994 and serving nearly three years in prison. Upon his release, he returned to Mexico and continued his involvement in drug trafficking, facing multiple indictments in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia since 2017.
The CJNG, founded in 2009, has rapidly develop into one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations. In 2020, the cartel demonstrated its reach and audacity with a brazen attack in Mexico City, targeting the then-head of the capital’s police force with grenades and high-powered rifles. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) considers the CJNG to be as powerful as the Sinaloa Cartel, another major player in the Mexican drug trade.
The cartel’s operations extend to all 50 U.S. States, and it is believed to be a significant supplier of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl to the American market. The death of El Mencho leaves a void at the head of the CJNG, and the ensuing power struggle is expected to further destabilize the region.
