Mexico experiences a wave of violence after the death of a cartel leader; PHOTOS

Mexico’s most wanted drug trafficker is killed in military operation The Mexican Army confirmed this Sunday (22) that its forces carried out an operation that ended with the death of the leader of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG), Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, one of the most wanted drug trafficking bosses in the United States. Authorities activated the “code red” to protect the population in the face of the expected reaction from criminal groups. Washington offered a reward of 15 million dollars (R$77 million) for Oseguera, whose command transformed the CJNG into one of the most powerful and violent criminal organizations in the country. According to the corporation, the 56-year-old drug trafficker was injured in an operation carried out in the city of Tapalpa, in the state of Jalisco, and died “during his air transfer to Mexico City”. Police cordon off the area where vehicles were set on fire by organized crime members to block a road following a military operation in which a government source said Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho”, was killed, in Zapopan, Mexico, on February 22, 2026. REUTERS/Gilberto Gallo Before the death of the cartel leader was confirmed, criminals blocked several roads in the states of Jalisco, Michoacán (western Mexico) and Tamaulipas (north) with vehicles on fire. Fire was also set in several establishments in Guanajuato (west), amid clashes with federal security forces who were carrying out an operation in the region, according to authorities. The measure aims to contain the risks to the population in cases of blockades, armed clashes or burning of vehicles. Public transport has been suspended in some areas. The governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus, confirmed that the operation resulted in “clashes in the region” and that, as a reaction, “in different parts of Jalisco individuals burned and crossed vehicles to prevent the authorities from taking action”. Reports of shooting at the airport At Guadalajara International Airport, there were reports of shooting and the presence of armed men, which generated panic among people in the terminal. Road blockages were also recorded in Michoacán, while the Morelia bus terminal suspended its activities. In Guanajuato, there were fires in pharmacies and stores. In the state of Tamaulipas, in the north of the country, the local communications office reported blockages with burned vehicles on several highways throughout the morning. The regional press also reported fires on avenues and businesses in Colima, Nayarit (west) and Aguascalientes (center). Authorities asked the population to stay at home. Vehicles pass by a burning bus used as a blockade by organized crime members following a federal operation in which a government source said that Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho”, was killed, in Zapopan, Mexico, on February 22, 2026. REUTERS/Gabriel Trujillo A soldier from the special forces of the Mexican National Guard stands guard over a vehicle in front of the headquarters of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO), in the city of Mexico, on February 22, 2026. ALFREDO ESTRELLA / AFP Shopping carts stand outside a vandalized supermarket in Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, Sunday, February 22, 2026, following the death of the leader of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho”. AP Photo/Alejandra Leyva A charred vehicle next to a damaged supermarket in Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, Sunday, February 22, 2026, following the death of the leader of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.” AP Photo/Alejandra Leyva

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