Several countries began issuing travel and movement alerts within Mexico, while airlines canceled flights, following the announcement of the death of one of the country’s most wanted drug traffickers, El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
The operation took place this weekend and had the help of US intelligence, amid growing pressure from Donald Trump’s government to combat drug trafficking. The warnings come after a wave of roadblocks, arson of vehicles and businesses, and clashes have been reported in at least a dozen states across the country.
The British government recommended this Monday (23) that UK citizens in Mexico remain at home and avoid unnecessary travel, amid the escalation of violence.
The Spanish Embassy in Mexico has advised “extreme caution” from its citizens due to roadblocks and violence in several states following the death of drug trafficker Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias El Mencho.
“At this time, several hotspots of tension remain in the country, especially in the states of Jalisco, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Nayarit, Colima, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes and Guanajuato,” the Spanish Embassy said in a message on social media on Sunday evening.
The U.S. Embassy advised Americans in the country to stay home in large areas, including Jalisco, Baja California, Quintana Roo and parts of Guanajuato, Guerrero, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.
He also instructed his diplomatic staff in Tijuana, Guerrero, Michoacán and Quintana Roo to stay home and warned of flight disruptions and suspensions of transportation services in Puerto Vallarta.
The German and French embassies urged people to stay in safe places, avoid crowds and strictly follow instructions from local authorities in the face of unrest and roadblocks.
In Latin America, countries such as Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador also issued alerts for their citizens in Mexico.
Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended that its citizens carefully evaluate the need to travel to Jalisco and postpone “non-essential” travel.
The government of Ecuador recommended that Ecuadorian citizens in Mexico exercise extreme caution and stay informed through official channels, as a result of security incidents in several parts of the country following El Mencho’s death. It also advised those planning to travel to check with their airlines and official sources about the status of their flights and the operational status of their respective airports.
US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) poster for reward for information on El mancho. Credit: Disclosure/@dealosangeles (Photo: EFE)Bolivia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged its citizens in Mexico to remain calm and avoid non-essential travel in light of roadblocks and violence reported in several states following the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum asked the population for calm on Sunday, stating that there is “absolute coordination with the governments of all states” and that, despite the blockades and violent demonstrations, activities are continuing in “complete normality” in “the majority of the national territory”.
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known in the criminal world as El Mencho, aged 59, died during air transport to Mexico City by federal forces following an operation in the municipality of Tapalpa, 130 kilometers south of Guadalajara, capital of Jalisco (west), carried out with the support of US intelligence, according to the Mexican Ministry of Defense.
Canceled flights and suspension of classes
In Puerto Vallarta (Jalisco), one of the country’s main tourist destinations, flights were cancelled, while across the state the governor suspended mass events, including the concert by American singer Kali Uchis in Guadalajara, one of the host cities of the 2026 World Cup.
The government also suspended classes in the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Michoacán, Colima, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Baja California and the Isthmus of Oaxaca region.
