Mexico: Drug lord El Mencho killed in military Operation

Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, commonly known as 'El Mencho,' has been killed in a military raid, Mexican officials said on Sunday, as the country's government has been ramping up pressure on cartels after U.S. intervention threats. Mexico's defense ministry said a shootout in the western state of Jalisco left Oseguera seriously injured and he died during an air transfer to Mexico City. The ministry noted that U.S. authorities had provided "complementary information." The operation set off a wave of violence, with torched cars and gunmen blocking highways in more than half a dozen states.Videos on social media showed cars ablaze, sending dark smoke into the sky, on roads in Jalisco. Mexican media outlets reported burning vehicles and gunmen blocking highways in more than half a dozen states across the country, particularly in the north and west.

Warzone Mexico airports & streets pic.twitter.com/kR9KiY6xQ5

— RT (@RT_com) February 23, 2026

Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro urged residents to stay home until the situation was brought under control, and the U.S. embassy advised its citizens to shelter in place. As per reports, an ex-police officer, Oseguera was the shadowy leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel(CJNG), an outfit named for the western state that is home to one of Mexico's biggest cities, Guadalajara.
The military operation against Oseguera follows a pressure campaign from the Trump administration on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's government to ramp up its crackdown on drug trafficking, including U.S. threats to intervene directly in Mexico.The kingpin's killing notches a major victory for Mexico's war on drug cartels that are responsible for smuggling billions of dollars in cocaine and fentanyl into the U.S. It is also expected to unleash a wave of violence across Mexico.