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Mexico City
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Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the powerful and persecuted head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and one of the most wanted traffickers in the world, died following a Mexican military operation on Sunday, giving the country a major victory as it seeks to show tangible results to the Trump administration.
Oseguera, a former police officer, led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, which became one of the “most powerful and ruthless criminal organizations” within Mexico, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
Violence broke out in several states in Mexico after security forces from multiple federal branches of the Mexican military carried out the operation in the city of Tapalpa, in the western state of Jalisco. Authorities said suspected organized crime members unleashed a wave of violence after the operation, setting buses and businesses on fire as they clashed with security forces.
The US State Department urged US citizens in parts of Mexico to “seek shelter and remain in residences or hotels” until further notice.
Mexico’s Ministry of National Defense said U.S. authorities provided “complementary information” that supported the operation. A US defense official confirmed that a US interagency task force “played a role” in the operation. However, the precise role the United States played remains unclear.
Since its creation in January, the Joint Interagency-Countercartel Task Force has worked regularly with the Mexican military through the US Northern Command to combat cartel operations along the US-Mexico border, the US official said.
“However, I want to emphasize that this was a (Mexican military) operation, so the success is theirs,” the official said.
During the raid, CJNG members exchanged gunfire with government forces, resulting in the deaths of four gang members at the scene, the Defense Ministry said.
Osegeura and two other people were seriously injured and died while being transported by plane to Mexico City, according to the ministry.
Three Mexican soldiers were also injured in the operation and were taken to a hospital in Mexico City to receive treatment.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the work of the agencies involved in the mission.
Mexico’s various state governments are working in “full coordination” to address the disorder, Sheinbaum said Sunday, adding that “activities are proceeding normally” in most of the country.
“We work every day for peace, security, justice and the well-being of Mexico,” he said.
The military operation unleashed a series of violent events throughout the state of Jalisco, which will host four matches of the 2026 World Cup in June, before spreading to other states such as Michoacán and Guanajuato.
Alleged members of organized crime groups set buses on fire, blocked roads in the area and clashed with authorities, reported the governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus Navarro.
Video obtained by CNN showed multiple fires and plumes of smoke rising in Puerto Vallarta, a resort town popular with American tourists on Mexico’s west coast.
Violent clashes break out throughout Mexico after the death of ‘El Mencho’
As a result of the violence, several airlines, including Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and Air Canada, canceled flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, leaving some tourists temporarily stranded.
Images captured at major airports and verified by CNN showed distant smoke and panicked travelers.
Travelers panic at Guadalajara airport after murder of Mexico’s most wanted drug leader
At Guadalajara international airport, travelers took shelter near a walkway and ran through the terminal.
Another video showed a large group of people escorted by uniformed employees across the tarmac of Puerto Vallarta’s main airport.
Amid the flight cancellations, Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency reported that the airports in Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and Tepic had resumed normal operations on Sunday afternoon.
During the military operation, Lemus urged residents to remain in their homes and said public transportation services in Jalisco would be suspended “until the situation is under control.”
The governor stated that the violence has spread to at least five states and urged citizens to avoid traveling on the roads.
The Ministry of Public Security of Michoacán reported that efforts are being made to restore the flow of traffic after the road blockades.
Meanwhile, the Secretariat of Security and Peace of Guanajuato reported fires in pharmacies and convenience stores in different parts of the state.
“No injuries have been reported, but material damage has been reported,” the statement added, announcing the deployment of a security operation in coordination with the Army, the National Guard and the municipal police.
Carlos Navarro, 54, a dual U.S.-Mexican citizen, was traveling to visit his family in a small town in his home state of Jalisco while the operation was underway.
While waiting for a connecting bus in Guadalajara, he was informed that the service was canceled due to a bus being set on fire.
Navarro took shelter at a nearby Walmart, where panicked employees allowed him to stay even as an evacuation was underway.
“You hear about it, but it’s very different hearing about it on the news than experiencing it firsthand,” he told CNN, “It’s very difficult because it makes you very sad. It makes you very sad because I love my country.”
Oseguera worked for the CJNG when it split from the Milenio Cartel, and eventually rose through the ranks to lead the criminal enterprise.
Under his leadership, the CJNG expanded its power and control in and around Jalisco.
Mexican authorities long tried to arrest Oseguera for his involvement in the cartel. In 2018, Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office offered 30 million pesos ($1.7 million) for information leading to his arrest.
Oseguera was also wanted by US authorities, who offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest.
The U.S. Department of Justice charged Oseguera in 2022 with leading the effort to manufacture and distribute fentanyl for importation into the United States.
A Justice Department indictment against Oseguera said his organization is active in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Colima and Veracruz, and has a presence elsewhere.
In 2025, Oseguera was sanctioned and classified as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States Department of State.
In a post on
He added that he observes the chaotic scenes in Mexico “with great sadness and concern.”
Sheinbaum has previously questioned the strategy of targeting cartel bosses, warning that decapitating criminal organizations can split them into rival factions and trigger new cycles of violence. However, security remains a persistent vulnerability for your administration.
Over the past year, Sheinbaum has come under increasing pressure from US President Donald Trump, who threatens military intervention and higher import tariffs if Mexico fails to demonstrate concrete progress in the fight against drug trafficking.
Shortly after the US capture of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump suggested he might expand his military campaign to Mexican drug trafficking groups.
Sheinbaum has rejected the notion of US attacks in Mexico, calling them a violation of Mexico’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Instead, it has pursued a direct approach to combating organized crime by increasing cooperation with U.S. security partners.