Mexico’s most wanted drug lord, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho,” has been killed during a high-risk military operation in the western state of Jalisco, triggering a wave of retaliatory violence that paralysed transport networks and prompted international security advisories.
The Mexican army confirmed that the 59-year-old leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel was critically wounded in a firefight with soldiers in the town of Tapalpa and died while being airlifted to Mexico City.
The operation, carried out by multiple federal security agencies, was described as one of the most significant strikes against organised crime in Mexico in recent years.
Within hours of the announcement, cartel-linked groups launched coordinated reprisals across at least five states, torching vehicles, blocking highways and engaging in armed clashes with security forces.
Authorities said the unrest disrupted road connectivity and public movement, creating widespread security concerns.
Officials from Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defence said six suspected cartel gunmen were killed during the operation, while three soldiers were injured and shifted to a hospital in the capital.
Two suspects were taken into custody, and a large cache of weapons was recovered, including rocket launchers capable of damaging armoured vehicles and aircraft.
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A federal official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Oseguera’s death occurred during the military action in Jalisco.
The killing is being seen as a major blow to cartel leadership structures, comparable to earlier crackdowns on figures such as Joaquín Guzmán and Ismael Zambada García, founders of the Sinaloa cartel.
The United States had previously offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Oseguera’s arrest, and earlier this year the cartel was designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the Trump administration.
As violence spread, the Embassy of India in Mexico issued an emergency advisory to Indian nationals, urging them to remain indoors and avoid travel in affected regions.
Dear all Indian nationals in Mexico:
There are ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity, Indian nationals in Jalisco State (areas of Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara), Tamaulipas State (areas of Reynosa and other municipalities),…
— India in México (@IndEmbMexico) February 22, 2026
In a statement posted on X, the embassy warned of ongoing security operations, road blockages and criminal activity, particularly in parts of Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero and Nuevo León.
Authorities continue to maintain heightened security across several regions as operations against cartel networks remain ongoing.
