Vehicles torched, roads blocked, gunmen on streets: Mexico on the boil after drug kingpin El Mencho's killing — What's happening

In a major operation, Mexico's most wanted drug cartel leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho, was killed after raid by Mexican Army. El Mencho was the head of the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG). He was wounded during the raid in the town of Tapalpa in Jalisco state and died while being flown to Mexico City. Three additional cartel members were also killed, three were wounded, and two were arrested.

After the security raid, El Mencho's cartel went on the rampage. Cartel members blocked the streets and were seen carrying guns. Videos on social media showed them torching dozens of buses, cars, and commercial trucks. Some reports also said that supermarkets, gas stations, and at least 18 Banco del Bienestar (state-owned bank) branches were also torched. Reports said at least seven National Guard members were killed. Meanwhile, Mexico's National Guard deployed a convoy of heavily armed police officers to guard the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime in Mexico City, where the body of slain drug lord "El Mencho" was moved to

As violence erupted in Mexico after the killing of El Mencho, India, US and Canada issued advisories for its citizens to take shelter in place and contact the embassy in case of emergency. It also urged its citizens to avoid unnecessary travel.

Major airlines, including United, Delta, Alaska, and Air Canada, have cancelled dozens of flights to Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta due to security concerns. Schools in Jalisco and Guanajuato have cancelled classes, and public transportation in parts of Jalisco remains suspended. Guadalajara, the capital city of Mexican state of Jalisco, is scheduled to host four World Cup matches in coming June. The ongoing violence may have an impact on fans coming in to the country. Mexico is also scheduled to play a friendly against Iceland on Wednesday (Feb 25) at Corregidora stadium in Queretaro but the Mexican football federation hasn't made any official comment on the game being postponed as of now.

In a statement, Trump administration said that it provided intelligence support to the Mexican government in order to assist with the operation. “El Mencho’ was a was a top target for the Mexican and United States government as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland,” Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt added in the statement. She also added that US President Trump had designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization last year. "President Trump has been very clear — the United States will ensure narco-terrorists sending deadly drugs to our homeland are forced to face the wrath of justice they have long deserved. The Trump Administration also commends and thanks the Mexican military for their cooperation and successful execution of this operation," the statement added. Earlier, Reuters reported that a new US-military-led task force specializing in intelligence collection on drug cartels played a role in the Mexican military raid. The Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel, which involves multiple US government agencies, was formally launched last month with the goal of mapping out networks of drug cartel members on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

El Mencho founded Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) around 2009–2010. Though it was founded following a split in the Milenio Cartel, the CJNG quickly became Mexico’s fastest-growing criminal organisation. The cartel’s total assets are estimated at $50 billion, with annual revenues reaching billions from trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

El Mencho's son El Menchito was sentenced to life in prison in the US in 2025, his wife, Rosalinda González Valencia, was arrested for money laundering in 2021 and his brother, Abraham was recaptured in February 2025.