Mexico kills CJNG boss El Mencho as violence leaves 25 National Guard troops dead
Feb 23rd 2026
Mexican forces say they killed Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes during an operation in Jalisco, triggering widespread retaliatory attacks that left dozens dead and disrupted daily life across multiple states.
- Mexican forces killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, during an operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco.
- Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said 25 National Guard members were left dead in Jalisco in six separate attacks after the killing.
- Authorities reported about 30 criminal suspects killed in Jalisco and four others killed in Michoacan, plus the deaths of a prison guard, a state prosecutor agent, and an unidentified woman.
- Cartel members set fires and staged more than 250 roadblocks across 20 states before authorities cleared them and several states canceled school.
- The United States provided intelligence support for the operation and had offered up to $15 million for information leading to El Mencho.
- Analysts warn rival criminal groups could try to exploit the CJNG setback and residents across affected areas remained on edge with travel and daily routines disrupted.