Executive Summary

The Mexican military killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Mencho"), principal leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during a federal operation in Jalisco on the morning of 22 February 2026. The killing was confirmed by a federal official to the Associated Press and independently reported by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. The operation triggered coordinated retaliatory narcoblockades, vehicle arsons, and armed confrontations across at least nine Mexican states within hours, constituting the most significant single-day disruption to Mexico's security environment in recent years. The CJNG, designated by the U.S. as a Foreign Terrorist Organization since February 2025, operated across 28 states and was assessed as the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world. The security environment across western and northern Mexico is rapidly deteriorating and the situation remains fluid.

SOURCE CONFIDENCE ASSESSMENT

Situation Overview

On the morning of Sunday, 22 February 2026, Mexican federal military forces killed 59-year-old Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes during a security operation in Jalisco state. The Associated Press reported that a federal official confirmed the killing, noting the operation was preceded by several hours of roadblocks and burning vehicles set up by cartels to hinder military actions. Sources disagree on the precise municipality, with some citing Tapalpa and others Talpa de Allende. The Wall Street Journal reported that Oseguera had operated from a heavily guarded mountain hideout in the Sierra Madre, protected by armed guards equipped with RPG-7 rocket launchers, and described him as the "new king of cocaine" in the United States. The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest.

Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus confirmed that the federal operation triggered armed confrontations in the Tapalpa area, including near the Tapalpa Country Club and Camino a San Gabriel. In immediate response, coordinated narcoblockades and retaliatory violence erupted across multiple states within hours. The state government activated the "Codigo Rojo" (Red Code) emergency protocol, the highest level of state security alert, ordering the immediate suspension of all public transportation statewide. The federal Security Cabinet confirmed that coordinated federal-state operations were underway to protect the population and restore order.