Mexico fears more violence after the army killed the leader of the powerful Jalisco cartel
Guadalajara, Mexico – Several Mexican states canceled schools on Monday, and local and foreign governments advised their citizens to stay inside after widespread violence erupted following the military’s killing of the country’s powerful leader. Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” was the head of one of Mexico’s fastest-growing criminal networks, known for smuggling fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the United States and launching brazen attacks against government officials who challenged these networks.
He was killed during a shootout in his home state of Jalisco, when the Mexican army tried to arrest him. Cartel members responded with violence across the country, blocking roads and setting vehicles on fire.
president Claudia Sheinbaum Urging calm, authorities announced late Sunday that they had removed most of the more than 250 roadblocks in 20 states. The president is expected to address the situation at her daily press conference on Monday morning.
The White House confirmed that the United States provided intelligence support to the operation to arrest the cartel leader and praised the Mexican army for bringing down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries.
Mexico had hoped the killing of the world’s largest fentanyl traffickers would ease pressure from the Trump administration to do more against the cartels, but many remained hidden and tense as they waited to see the cartel’s strong response.
The US Embassy said via
Cars started moving in Guadalajara before sunrise Monday at the start of the work week, a marked change from Sunday when the Jalisco state capital and Mexico’s second-largest city was almost completely locked down with frightened residents staying indoors.
Irma Hernandez, a 43-year-old hotel security guard in Guadalajara, arrived at work early Monday morning.
She usually took public transportation to work, but the buses were not running and she had no way to get across the city. Her bosses organized a special car to pick her up. She said her family was staying at the house, too afraid to leave.
“I’m worried because I don’t know how to get home if something happens,” she said.
Passengers who arrived at the city’s international airport on Sunday evening were informed that the airport was operating with a limited number of employees due to the outbreak of violence.
Authorities in Jalisco, Michoacan and Guanajuato reported at least 14 more people killed on Sunday, including seven National Guard troops.
Videos circulating on social media on Sunday showed tourists in Puerto Vallarta walking on the beach with smoke billowing in the distance.
David Mora, a Mexico analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the arrest and outbreak of violence marked an inflection point in Sheinbaum’s campaign to eliminate the cartels and ease American pressure.
US President Donald Trump has called on Mexico to do more to combat the smuggling of the often deadly drug fentanyl, threatening to combat its smuggling. Imposing more tariffs Or take Unilateral military action If the country does not show results.
There were early signs that Mexico’s efforts were being welcomed by the United States.
US Ambassador Ron Johnson acknowledged the success and sacrifices of the Mexican Armed Forces in a statement issued late Sunday. He added, “Under the leadership of President Trump and President Sheinbaum, bilateral cooperation has reached unprecedented levels.”
It could also pave the way for more violence as rival criminal groups take advantage of the hit the CJNG has taken, Mora said.
“This could be a moment when those other groups see that the cartel has been weakened and want to seize the opportunity to expand their control and take control of the Jalisco cartel in those states,” he said.
“Since President Sheinbaum took power, the military has become more confrontational and combative against criminal groups in Mexico,” Mora said. “This is a signal to the United States that if we continue to cooperate and share intelligence, Mexico is capable of doing this. We do not need American forces on Mexican soil.”
Oseguera Cervantes, who was wounded during an arrest operation on Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco, about a two-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara, died while being airlifted to Mexico City, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
During the operation, the forces came under fire and killed four people at the site. Three other people, including Oseguera CervantesThe statement added, “The two citizens were injured and later died.”
White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt said on X that the US government provided intelligence support for the operation. “El Mencho has been a prime target of the Mexican government and the United States as a major smuggler of fentanyl into our homeland,” she wrote. She praised the Mexican Army for its work.
The US State Department has offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to El Mencho’s arrest. the Jalisco New Generation Cartel It is one of the most powerful and fastest-growing criminal organizations in Mexico and began operating around 2009.
In February 2025, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.
Sheinbaum criticized the “major” strategy pursued by previous administrations that took down cartel leaders, only to provoke explosions of violence as the cartels disintegrated. Although it remains very popular in Mexico, security is an ongoing concern. Since US President Donald Trump took office a year ago, it has been under enormous pressure to deliver results in the fight against drug trafficking.
The Jalisco Cartel has been one of the most aggressive in its attacks on the military – including on helicopters – and is Pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines. In 2020, a stunning assassination attempt was carried out with grenades and high-explosive rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then head of the metropolitan police force, who is now Federal Security Minister.
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Sanchez reported from Mexico City. Associated Press writer Maria Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report.
