Top cartel leader's killing sparks violent clashes across Mexico

Alex Vasquez and Maya Averbuch, Bloomberg News on Feb 22, 2026

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A top cartel leader was killed during a raid carried out by Mexican authorities in the western state of Jalisco, fueling clashes and roadblocks across the country.

Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel known as “El Mencho,” was slain in a federal operation against the group on Sunday morning, according to people familiar with the matter. The news was first reported by local outlets Reforma and Milenio.

Oseguera rose to prominence after helping found the Jalisco Cartel around 2009. Originally a rival to the Sinaloa Cartel, it is one of the main groups that traffics cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl to the U.S. Taking out its leader marks a major success for Mexico amid increasing pressure from President Donald Trump.

After the raid, criminal groups burned cars and trucks to block roads in different areas of Jalisco, and there were also clashes between gangs and the authorities, according to both Reforma and Milenio. Neighbors in Guadalajara shared videos of armed groups shooting car tires to block intersections.

The blockades spread to other states, including Michoacán and Guanajuato. Pharmacies and convenience stores were attacked in several cities. The U.S. embassy in Mexico issued a security alert urging Americans in affected areas to shelter in place until further notice.

Authorities haven’t yet confirmed Oseguera’s death. President Claudia Sheinbaum’s office and the Security Ministry didn’t immediately reply requests seeking comment.

The Security Cabinet, however, confirmed in a post on X that it is “addressing the blockades that are occurring in some areas of Jalisco as a result of operations carried out by federal institutions,” according to a post on X.

In the tourist hot spot of Puerto Vallarta, usually frequented by tourists from the U.S. and Canada during the winter, several roads were also blocked. A video published by Reforma shows smoke rising from burning vehicles in several parts of the city. Flight tracking websites showed airlines turning around en route to the city.

The U.S. raised the reward for information leading to Oseguera’s capture to $15 million in 2024, a sign of his prominence in a criminal underworld that moves billions of dollars a year.

A dispute between Sinaloa Cartel factions has left its home state, Sinaloa, with one of the worst homicide rates in Mexico as it has come under increasing scrutiny by the U.S. and Mexican government. Its leader, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, is serving a life sentence in the U.S.

Attention is now focused Mexico’s other major cartel, known by its Spanish initials CJNG. The Treasury Department says it has diversified its business from drugs alone and is now profiting from illicit activities including fuel theft and crude-oil smuggling.

Members of the group once tried to ambush Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch, when he was Mexico City’s security chief in 2020. Last year, the State Department designated the Jalisco Cartel a foreign terrorist organization, opening the door to greater liabilities for companies and financial institutions linked to it.

The Jalisco Cartel traffics drugs to Australia, Canada, Europe, Africa and South America, according to the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center. The drug trade is a major focus for the Trump administration, which has threatened land strikes on Mexico if it doesn’t step up its enforcement actions. Sheinbaum is firmly opposed to U.S. action in her country but has pledged to work closely with Washington, including through intelligence sharing.

Oseguera, a former police officer from Michoacan State who was deported to Mexico from the U.S. after serving time, doesn’t have as high a profile as Guzman, but he’s become a major player in Mexico. The Jalisco Cartel has also infiltrated parts of government. Earlier this year, the Mexican government arrested the mayor of the municipality of Tequila, with allegations he participated in an extortion scheme that benefited CJNG.

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(With assistance from Gonzalo Soto, María Paula Mijares Torres and Andrea Navarro.)

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