Mexico plunged into chaos after cartel leader El Mencho killed

Mexico was plunged into chaos after the military killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes , known as El Mencho , the feared head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) , one of the world’s most powerful criminal organizations. In a Sunday operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, troops came under heavy fire. Oseguera Cervantes was wounded and later died while being flown to Mexico City. Several cartel members were killed, two arrested, and authorities seized armored vehicles, rocket launchers and other weapons. Three soldiers were injured.

Cartel affiliates retaliated immediately, setting roads ablaze and attacking security forces, leaving at least 14 dead and disrupting transport in Jalisco, Michoacán, Tamaulipas, Guerrero, Nuevo León and Guanajuato. Smoke rose over Puerto Vallarta , airports saw panicked crowds, schools were canceled, and public transport suspended.

The United States, Canada, Belgium, and the Embassy of India in Mexico issued advisories urging citizens to shelter in place and avoid travel in affected areas.

El Mencho , 59, rose from poverty in Michoacán and briefly served in the police before founding CJNG around 2009. He transformed it into a transnational drug-trafficking network responsible for fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine supply into the U.S., operating across Mexico and internationally with paramilitary structure, drone attacks, and extreme violence. Family members, including his wife Rosalinda González Valencia and son El Menchito , were involved in cartel operations.

The Trump administration, which had designated CJNG a foreign terrorist organization, praised Mexico’s military and credited U.S. intelligence support. Earlier, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau described the killing as a “great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America and the world.” In a cryptic social media post following the news, President Donald Trump wrote, “We’re Winning too much, it’s just not fair!” reflecting on the cross‑border effort. Analysts warned that El Mencho ’s death could spark internal cartel battles. Mexico has long struggled with drug-related violence , with successive governments attempting to curb powerful cartels, often at high cost. Many officials and law enforcement officers have been killed in the fight against organized crime, highlighting the entrenched challenges the country faces even as authorities now seek to restore order ahead of the FIFA World Cup .