Violence has erupted in Mexico after troops killed Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, head of the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) drug cartel.
The gang is one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in the North American nation, with El Mencho the country’s most-wanted drug leader.
El Mencho was notorious for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the United States and staging brazen attacks against government officials who challenged his operations.
The 59-year-old former police officer was killed on Sunday when the Mexican military engaged in a shoot-out in his home state of Jalisco in an attempt to capture him.
Four cartel members were killed at the scene, while another three, including El Mencho, died while being flown to Mexico City, the nation’s capital.
The US provided intelligence support for the operation, according to the White House. The state department had offered a $15 million reward for information leading to El Mencho’s capture.
El Mencho’s death triggered chaos across several Mexican states, as cartel members barricaded roads, torched vehicles and clashed with authorities.
Videos shared on social media showed multiple bonfires and thick plumes of smoke rising over Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist resort on Mexico’s west coast.
El Occidental, a local newspaper, published footage appearing to show heavy fighting in Tapalpa, located in Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountain range.
The unrest forced airlines to cancel dozens of flights.
In Jalisco’s capital, Guadalajara — one of the 2026 World Cup host cities — panicked passengers at the airport ran for cover, fearing reprisal attacks from El Mencho’s fighters. Armed men were seen setting vehicles ablaze in the city centre.
A separate video posted on social media showed a group of heavily armed men setting fire to a petrol station in Guadalajara.
Schools have been cancelled in several Mexican states, while local and foreign governments urged citizens to remain indoors.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum called on people to remain “calm”, saying that “in most parts of the country, activities are proceeding normally”.