Who Was El Mencho, Most Wanted Drug Lord Whose Killing Has Triggered Unrest Across Mexico?

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Last Updated:February 23, 2026, 07:04 IST

El Mencho, leader of CJNG, was killed in Jalisco during a military operation, sparking violent protests and chaos across Mexico.

Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the powerful and long-pursued head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and one of the world’s most-wanted traffickers, died following a Mexican military operation. (CNN)

Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the powerful and long-pursued head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and one of the world’s most-wanted traffickers, died following a Mexican military operation. (CNN)

El Mencho’s Death: Mexico’s most wanted drug lord and the leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) drug cartel, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho," was killed on Sunday during a major military operation in the western state of Jalisco, authorities confirmed. His death has triggered large-scale protests and violence across the North American nation.

The 59-year-old drug lord was seriously injured during a clash with security forces in the town of Tapalpa. He later died while being airlifted to Mexico City.

Oseguera had long been one of the most wanted men in the world, with a $15 million US bounty on his head. His cartel, known for its military-style tactics and brutal expansion, had grown into one of Mexico’s most dominant criminal organisations since its formation in 2009.

How The Operation Unfolded?

Special Forces from the Mexican Army led the mission, working off intelligence gathered by the National Intelligence Center and the Attorney General’s Office (FEMDO). Air Force aircraft and the National Guard’s Immediate Reaction Special Force joined in to support the attempt to capture El Mencho. Once on the ground, the military unit was attacked. They returned fire in self-defense. The US had given Mexico information that assisted the operation.

Officials said at least four to six suspected cartel gunmen were killed, three soldiers were wounded, and two suspects were arrested. Security forces also seized a cache of heavy weapons, including rocket launchers.

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau welcomed the development and called Oseguera “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins."

Who Was El Mencho?

Born in 1966, Oseguera briefly lived in the United States in the 1980s before being deported following a drug conviction. He rose through cartel ranks in the 2000s and eventually took control of CJNG, turning it into a transnational criminal enterprise trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl into the United States.

He was indicted by US federal prosecutors on multiple drug trafficking and weapons charges but continued to evade capture for years. The US government has classified the group as a terrorist organisation, owing to the scale of its global impact.

The cartel Oseguera built became notorious for trafficking cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the United States, according to the US Justice Department.

CJNG was formed in 2009 and became one of the most violent drug cartels in Mexico, having the highest cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine trafficking capacity- initially in Mexico and then to the US.

The US said that under El Mencho’s leadership, CJNG was responsible for many homicides against rival trafficking groups and Mexican law enforcement officers. CJNG operatives were also involved in assassination attempts of Mexical government officials.

CJNG is also a key supplier of drugs to the US, earning billions from fentanyl production. Since October 2024, 9,200lb (4,182kg) of fentanyl has been seized in the US, according to figures published by US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) in June 2025.

Almost all (96%) was intercepted at the south-west border with Mexico.

Nationwide Rampage

After the news of his death broke out, cartel members launched retaliatory attacks across Jalisco and neighboring states.

More than 20 roads were blocked with burning vehicles, bringing key highways to a standstill. Violence also spread to Michoacán and the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta. In Guadalajara, businesses shut down and residents were urged to stay indoors as plumes of smoke rose over parts of the city.

Airports in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta witnessed chaos, with flights cancelled as a precaution. US and Canadian authorities issued travel warnings, advising citizens to shelter in place in affected regions.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm, stating that federal and state authorities were working to restore order. She said most parts of the country remained stable despite the unrest.

Eyewitnesses have filmed plumes of smoke rising over several cities including Guadalajara – one of the host cities of the forthcoming Fifa World Cup.

Drone footage from Guadalajara captured vehicles set ablaze, with thick plumes of smoke rising over #Mexico’s second-largest city following the killing of notorious drug lord El Mencho in a security operation.Emergency responders were seen battling the fires as traffic came to… pic.twitter.com/kOjMWwT6TF

— DD News (@DDNewslive) February 23, 2026

In the tourist hotspot of Puerto Vallarta, on the Jalisco coast, potentially thousands of tourists are trapped in the resort because of the unrest.

Throughout Sunday, there were reports of gunmen on the streets in Jalisco and elsewhere.

The governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus Navarro, on social media advised residents of the state to adhere to a code red warning and stay in their homes.

He also said that public transport was suspended in the state.

US carriers United Airlines and American Airlines, as well as Air Canada, have cancelled flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.

(With inputs from agencies)

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First Published:

February 23, 2026, 07:04 IST

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