Cartel violence swept Mexico after a U.S.-supported military operation resulted in the neutralization of a cartel boss with a $15 million bounty on his head.
South of the border on Sunday, plumes of smoke were seen in popular tourist cities as warnings were issued for Americans to shelter in place in the wake of a military operation against drug operations. In the process of the operation, run with the support of U.S. intelligence, Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes was pronounced dead.
Taking to X on Sunday, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau remarked on the fate of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), “I’ve just been informed that Mexican security forces have killed ‘El Mencho,’ one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins. This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys.”
“PS, I’m watching the scenes of violence from Mexico with great sadness and concern. It’s not surprising that the bad guys are responding with terror. But we must never lose our nerve,” added Landau after the death of the drug boss who rose to power after the arrest of former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
PS, I’m watching the scenes of violence from Mexico with great sadness and concern. It’s not surprising that the bad guys are responding with terror. But we must never lose our nerve. ¡Ánimo México!
— Christopher Landau (@DeputySecState) February 22, 2026
🇲🇽 MÉXICO: ASÍ SE OBSERVA DESDE EL AIRE EL ENFRENTAMIENTO ENTRE CJNG Y EL EJÉRCITO
🚁 Imágenes aéreas muestran la magnitud de los choques armados entre integrantes del Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación y fuerzas del Ejército en distintas zonas de México.
⚠️ La violencia se desató… pic.twitter.com/ROFaYwsXDX
— ITR Oficial (@ITROriginal) February 22, 2026
Speaking to the United States involvement in the operation, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sad in a statement, “The United States provided intelligence support to the Mexican government in order to assist with an operation in Talpalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, in which Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, an infamous drug lord and leader within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was eliminated,” said Leavitt who went on to describe the cartel leader as “a top target for the Mexican and United States government as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland.”
“Last year, President Trump rightfully designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization — because that’s exactly what it is. In this operation, three additional cartel members were killed, three were wounded, and two were arrested,” she went on. “President Trump has been very clear — the United States will ensure narcoterrorists sending deadly drugs to our homeland are forced to face the wrath of justice they have long deserved. The Trump Administration also commends and thanks the Mexican military for their cooperation and successful execution of this operation.”
The United States provided intelligence support to the Mexican government in order to assist with an operation in Talpalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, in which Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, an infamous drug lord and leader within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was eliminated.… https://t.co/iKxsAMmnLN
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) February 23, 2026
Months after CJNG was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization along with the Sinaloa Cartel, the United Cartels, the Gulf Cartel, the Northeast Cartel, the Michoacán Family, MS-13, and Tren de Aragua, the Justice Department announced that Mexico had returned 26 fugitives to the United States, including Oseguera Cervantes’ brother-in-law, Abigael González Valencia.
During Sunday’s operation, the Department of War indicated that Oseguera Cervantes had been wounded during his capture and died on the way to Mexico City. It was reported that the cartel leader was one of a few who were injured and died later, after four were said to have been killed during a shootout with Mexican troops. An additional two cartel members were detained along with weaponry and armored vehicles.
While Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum lauded efforts toward “peace, security, justice, and the well-being of Mexico,” travel warnings were issued across the country as the U.S. Embassy warned, “Due to ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity, U.S. citizens in the named locations should shelter in place until further notice.”
La Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional reportó el operativo llevado a cabo esta mañana por fuerzas federales, que derivó en diversos bloqueos y otras reacciones.
Existe absoluta coordinación con gobiernos de todos los estados; debemos mantenernos informados y en calma.
Las redes…
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) February 22, 2026
Security Alert – Update: Ongoing Security Operations – U.S. Mission Mexico (February 22, 2026)
Locations: Widespread, including Jalisco State (including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara), Baja California State (including Tijuana, Tecate, and Ensenada), Quintana Roo… pic.twitter.com/vwxfOSF6iJ
— Embajada de EE.UU. en México (@USEmbassyMEX) February 22, 2026
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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