El Mencho’s death set off a spate of violence across many Mexican states. Photos: DEA//Screenshot//YouTube
Parts of Mexico, including several famous surf destinations, are facing waves of violence after the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader, “El Mencho,” was killed by the Mexican army. He was described as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins” by Christopher Landau, the former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Deputy Secretary of State.
El Mencho, whose real name was Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, was at the top of the list of wanted criminals for both the Mexican government and United Stated government. He is alleged to have been the head of the CJNG and had rewards for his arrest up to U.S. $15 million and MXN$300 million. His role in the CJNG helped it become one of the most violent criminal syndicates in the world. While cocaine and methamphetamine reportedly make up the brunt of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel’s business, it also had its fingers in heroin and fentanyl, the latter of which has been an increasingly profitable drug for many cartels.
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./Los buenos somos más que…
— Christopher Landau (@DeputySecState) February 22, 2026
El Mecho was born in Michoacán, where his family grew avocados. In the 1980s, he came illegally to the U.S. but was deported back to Mexico after several arrests. By the mid-’90s, he was working for the Milenio Cartel, where he quickly rose through the ranks before founding the CJNG and establishing its presence as an extraordinarily violent enterprise. While other groups like the Sinoloa Cartel might have more global recognition, CJNG was notoriously brutal.
He was killed on Sunday in Tapalpa in Jalisco. The operation was reportedly an attempt to arrest him, but he was shot in the ensuing gunfight and died while he was being transported to Mexico City. The backlash from his cartel was swift and furious. Cars and buildings were set on fire, roadblocks erected, and security forces were attacked in eight Mexican states.
Now, the U.S. State Department has issued a shelter-in-place warning for American tourists in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, and some areas of Michoacan, Guerrero, and Nuevo Leon. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, Mexico’s president, has urged for calm. “In most areas of the country,” she said, “activities are proceeding normally.”
Eyewitness accounts show massive plumes of smoke rising into the air in several places, including Guadalajara, which is set to host the upcoming Fifa World Cup. In Puerto Vallarta, a gateway to many surfing locales on the mainland, thousand of tourists are being told not to leave their accommodations for fear of violence. Pablo Lemus Navarro, the Jalisco governor, has advised residents to stay at home as well. Public transport is currently suspended in the area, and many flights in and out of nearby airports have been cancelled.
Although his death has led to some of the worst cartel violence Mexico has seen in decades and the power vacuum it leaves will have some future ramifications, Landau said El Mencho’s death was “a great development for Mexico, the U.S., Latin America, and the world.”
