Violent clashes erupted in parts of western Mexico on Sunday amid a military operation that killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, sparking widespread security concerns across the region.
Mexican security forces killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” during an operation in the western state of Jalisco, Mexico’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on X. It said he was wounded during the raid in the town of Tapalpa and died while being airlifted to Mexico City.
The state of Jalisco is the base of the cartel known for trafficking huge amounts of fentanyl and other drugs to the United States.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who also confirmed the cartel leader’s death, described it as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug busts ever”.
“This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys,” he told X.
A US defense official told CBS News that the US military played a role in the operation through the Interagency-Countercartel Task Force, which regularly works with the Mexican military through the US Northern Command. The official emphasized that “this was a Mexican military operation, so the success is theirs.”
Mike Vigil, the DEA’s former head of international operations, told CBS News that the military operation was “one of the most significant actions taken in the history of drug trafficking.”
“Because we are talking about someone who is almost on the same level as (Joaquin) “El Chapo” Guzman and (Ismael) “El Mayo” Zambada,” he added. “(Oseguera Cervantes) is one of the biggest drug lords in the history of drug trafficking around the globe.”
During the operation, the troops came under fire and killed four persons at the spot. Three more people, including Oseguera Cervantes, were injured and later died, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement. Two others were arrested and armored vehicles, rocket launchers and other weapons were seized. Three members of the armed forces were injured and are receiving medical attention.
The killing of the powerful drug lord sparked several hours of burning vehicles in Jalisco and other states. Such tactics are commonly used by cartels to block military operations.
A member of the Prosecutor’s Office stands guard next to a torched bus set on fire by organized crime groups in response to an operation in Jalisco to arrest a priority security target, on one of the main streets in Zapopan, Jalisco state, Mexico on February 22, 2026. / Credit: Ulises Ruiz / AFP via Getty Images
(Ulises Ruiz/AFP via Getty Images)
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro activated a “code red,” which is a protocol for a state of emergency or security crisis, in response to the clashes. In a post on X, he said public transportation had been suspended in Jalisco and urged people in the area to stay in their homes until the situation was under control.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo acknowledged the blockages on social media, but stressed: “In the vast majority of the national territory, activities are going on with full normality.”
Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke swirling over the city of Puerto Vallarta, a major city in Jalisco, and people sprinting through the state capital’s airport in panic.
“They are burning buses, closing roads, not only in Jalisco, but also in Michoacan, Colima, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato and then also in Aguas Calientes,” Vigil said. “And what they’re trying to do is show that they’re still a force to be reckoned with, that this wasn’t a fatal blow to them.
In Guadalajara, Jalisco’s capital and Mexico’s second-largest city, where the World Cup is scheduled to host matches this summer, torched vehicles blocked roads.
A similar situation unfolded at the airport in Reynosa, a city on the Mexican border in the state of Tamaulipas, sources on the ground and family members in the city told CBS News’ Nidia Cavazos. They said roads to and from the airport were blocked by cartel members. Reynosa borders McAllen, Texas and is usually full of Americans traveling back and forth. While international bridges remained open, key roads to reach the bridges were blocked.
The US State Department has issued a security alert advising US citizens in several Mexican states, including Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon, to shelter in place until further notice.
Air Canada has temporarily suspended operations at the Puerto Vallarta airport due to what it described as “an ongoing security situation in Puerto Vallarta” that has affected the airport.
“We are monitoring the situation and contacting local authorities who are working to resolve the issue,” the airline said.
A man extinguishes a burning truck set on fire by organized crime groups in Zapopan, Jalisco state, Mexico on February 22, 2026. / Credit: Ulises RUIZ /AFP via Getty Images
Southwest and Alaska Airlines confirmed they canceled flights to and from Puerto Vallarta on Sunday, while Delta Air Lines also canceled flights and issued travel waivers to customers flying to or from the airport in Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.
“The safety of our customers and crew always comes first and we are closely monitoring the situation in the region. We have taken steps to adjust our operations accordingly and are working to communicate with our affected customers,” Delta said in a statement.
The Jalisco New Generation cartel, known as the CJNG, is one of the most powerful and fastest growing criminal organizations in Mexico. Oseguera Cervantes, 59, was originally from Aguililla, in the neighboring state of Michoacán. He has been significantly involved in drug trafficking activities since the 1990s. He helped found the Jalisco New Generation cartel with Érick Valencia Salazar, aka “El 85”, around 2007.
Valencia Salazar was among 29 wanted cartel leaders taken into US custody last February, according to the Justice Department.
The Jalisco cartel has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks on the military – including helicopters – and is a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and planting mines. In 2020, he carried out a spectacular assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then head of the capital’s police force and now secretary of federal security.
The DEA considers the cartel to be as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico’s most notorious criminal groups with a presence in all 50 US states.
As of 2017, Oseguera Cervantes has been indicted multiple times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The US State Department has offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to El Mencho’s arrest.
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In February 2025, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization, saying that in addition to fentanyl trafficking, the group “engages in extortion, migrant smuggling, oil and mineral theft, and arms trafficking.”
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