{"id":24253,"date":"2026-02-23T01:15:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T01:15:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=24253"},"modified":"2026-02-23T01:15:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T01:15:30","slug":"violence-erupts-after-mexican-security-forces-kill-drug-cartel-boss-el-mencho-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=24253","title":{"rendered":"Violence erupts after Mexican security forces kill drug cartel boss \u2018El Mencho\u2019 | Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"

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One of the world\u2019s most wanted drug traffickers, the Mexican<\/a> cartel boss known as \u201cEl Mencho\u201d, has been killed by security forces, Mexico\u2019s defence ministry has confirmed. The operation set off a wave of violence, with torched cars and gunmen blocking highways in more than half a dozen states.<\/p>\n

The drug lord, whose real name is Nemesio Rub\u00e9n Oseguera Cervantes<\/a>, was killed on Sunday in the western state of Jalisco along with at least six alleged accomplices, the ministry said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The 59-year-old was the leader of a gang that in recent years had become Mexico\u2019s most powerful and notorious criminal organisation<\/a>: the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>The Mexican drug lord Nemesio Rub\u00e9n Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho.<\/span> Photograph: DEA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While less internationally famous than the Sinaloa cartel of the now imprisoned Joaqu\u00edn \u201cEl Chapo\u201d Guzm\u00e1n, the Jalisco group is a household name in Mexico<\/a>, where it is infamous for its displays of ultraviolence and its big, military-style arsenal.<\/p>\n

Four cartel members were killed at the scene, while another three died while being flown to Mexico City, among them El Mencho.<\/p>\n

Two alleged cartel members were arrested with weapons that included rocket launchers capable of bringing down aircraft and destroying armoured vehicles. Footage<\/a> published in one regional newspaper, El Occidental, showed scenes of what appeared to be heavy fighting in Tapalpa, which is located in Mexico\u2019s Sierra Madre mountain range.<\/p>\n

Three troops were injured during the operation and were also transported to the capital for treatment, the ministry added. A Jalisco state official who requested anonymity later told the Associated Press that a member of the National Guard died in Tapalpa during the operation, six other National Guard members died in Zapopan, a jail guard was killed at a lockup in Puerto Vallarta when prisoners rioted, and an agent from the Jalisco state prosecutor\u2019s office was killed in Guadalajara. Further details were not immediately available.<\/p>\n

The defence ministry said the US authorities had provided \u201ccomplementary information\u201d that had contributed to the operation\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Firefighters work in Puerto Vallarta where buses were set on fire by criminal gangs.<\/span> Photograph: Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

El Mencho\u2019s killing caused an immediate outbreak of disorder across the region he ruled, displaying his huge influence across Mexico and other parts of Latin America. The unrest forced US and Canadian airlines to cancel dozens of flights. Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to Puerto Vallarta \u201cdue to an ongoing security situation\u201d and advised customers not to go to their airport.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Sunday \u201cnarco\u201d roadblocks made from burning cars, buses and trucks could be seen across at least eight Mexican states<\/a>: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Michoac\u00e1n, Colima, Guerrero, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. Video footage showed huge clouds of smoke rising into the skies above Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist city on Mexico\u2019s west coast known for its spectacular Pacific Ocean beaches.<\/p>\n

There were scenes of chaos in Jalisco\u2019s capital, Guadalajara \u2013 one of the 2026 World Cup host cities \u2013 as panicked passengers in the airport sprinted for cover<\/a>, apparently fearing reprisal attacks from El Mencho\u2019s fighters. Armed men were seen torching vehicles<\/a> in the heart of the city.<\/p>\n

?One video<\/a> posted on social media showed a group of heavily armed men setting fire to a petrol station in Guadalajara after pulling up in a white car.<\/p>\n

By Sunday night, Guadalajara turned into a ghost town as civilians hunkered down. School was cancelled on Monday in several states.<\/p>\n

The US had offered a $15m (\u00a311m) reward for the capture of El Mencho, who was accused of smuggling huge quantities of cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine across its southern border. El Mencho\u2019s cartel, which was founded about 16 years ago and had become Mexico\u2019s most influential crime group, was also accused of attempting to assassinate Mexican government officials.<\/p>\n

Senior US officials celebrated El Mencho\u2019s killing, which follows months of pressure from Donald Trump over the influx of drugs and migrants across the 1,954-mile (3,145km) border between the two countries. The US president has even threatened military action against cartels that he has claimed \u201care running Mexico\u201d. Writing on X, Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of state, called El Mencho \u201cone of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins\u201d. He posted: \u201cThis is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>An aerial photograph shows plumes of smoke rising over Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, as part of the gang response to the killing of El Mencho.<\/span> Photograph: EPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The exact circumstances of El Mencho\u2019s killing, which analysts called the biggest blow to Mexico\u2019s cartels in more than a decade, remained unclear on Sunday. The defence ministry said special forces troops from the army and national guard had launched an operation in Tapalpa, a town about 80 miles south-west of Jalisco state\u2019s capital, Guadalajara, to capture the fugitive drug lord, with support from the air force and military intelligence. While doing so, however, \u201cmilitary personnel came under attack\u201d and fought back.<\/p>\n

The US embassy in Mexico said that the operation was carried out by Mexican special forces \u201cwithin the framework of bilateral cooperation, with US authorities providing complementary intelligence\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel, which specialises in intelligence collection on drug cartels, played a role in the military raid, a US defence official told Reuters. The taskforce was quietly launched late last year with the goal of mapping out networks of drug cartel members on both sides of the US-Mexico border, US officials said.<\/p>\n

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Mexico map<\/a><\/figure>\n

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As the unrest grew, Jalisco\u2019s state governor, Pablo Lemus Navarro, urged its 8 million citizens to stay at home \u201cuntil the situation is brought back under control\u201d. Lemus said public transport services were being suspended and that people should not travel on the state\u2019s roads because of the \u201cviolent events\u201d that had spread to at least five parts of the country.<\/p>\n

The US embassy in Mexico City also issued a security alert<\/a>, urging US citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon states to \u201cshelter in place\u201d in affected regions as a result of \u201csecurity operations and related road blockages and criminal activity\u201d.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>A bus set on fire by organised crime groups in response to the operation in Jalisco, Mexico.<\/span> Photograph: Ulises Ruiz\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Canada\u2019s government said: \u201cCriminal groups have set up roadblocks with burning vehicles in several cities in Jalisco state \u2026 There have been shootouts with security forces and explosions \u2026 If you\u2019re [there] keep a low profile [and] monitor local and international media to stay informed of the rapidly evolving situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reacting to the attacks after El Mencho\u2019s killing, Landau wrote on X: \u201cI\u2019m watching the scenes of violence from Mexico with great sadness and concern. It\u2019s not surprising that the bad guys are responding with terror. But we must never lose our nerve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mexico\u2019s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said: \u201cThere is absolute coordination with the governments of all states; we must stay informed and calm.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe security cabinet\u2019s social media accounts provide continuous updates. Activities are proceeding normally across most of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

#Violence #erupts #Mexican #security #forces #kill #drug #cartel #boss #Mencho #Mexico<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the world\u2019s most wanted… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24254,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24253"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24253"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24253\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}