On 22 February 2026, Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and six others were killed in a security operation by the Mexican Army in Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico. The operation sparked clashes in the area, resulting in shootouts, explosions and multiple vehicles and stores being set on fire throughout the state and much of the rest of the country. The clashes have resulted in dozens of casualties for both the National Guard and cartel members, as well as at least one civilian death. == Background == Mexican security personnel have sought to capture Oseguera since at least 2015 after his associates shot down a military helicopter, killing nine security forces. == Execution of the operation == === Intelligence and planning === The operation was led by the Mexican Army with support from the National Guard, the Mexican Air Force, and intelligence personnel from the Attorney General's Office. Mexican security forces coordinated with the United States' Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel (JITC-CC), which provided intelligence support in the planning of the mission. The JITC-CC mapped cartel presence and provided intelligence on CJNG movement which the Task Force's director, Brigadier General Maurizio Calabrese, said was unlike those of the Islamic State or Al-Qaeda. In the days immediately preceding the operation, military intelligence tracked the movements of a trusted associate connected to a romantic partner of Oseguera. On 20 February 2026, data from this tracking effort indicated that the companion had transported the associate to a secluded rural property in the mountainous region of Tapalpa, Jalisco, where Oseguera was believed to be staying. Security forces confirmed that the partner had met with Oseguera at that location and subsequently left the property on 21 February. Ongoing surveillance suggested that Oseguera had remained at the property with a security detail. Mexican security forces began planning the operation on 21 February, which would involve ground forces, aviation support, and special operations units, aimed at apprehending and extracting Oseguera. === Raid on Oseguera's Tapalpa compound === On 22 February 2026, after confirming the presence of Oseguera, security forces initiated the raid on the rural compound in Tapalpa. As federal troops advanced toward the property, CJNG gunmen opened fire, triggering an intense exchange of gunfire in the surrounding mountainous terrain. Cartel members reportedly used high-caliber firearms and other heavy weaponry in an attempt to repel the assault. During the initial confrontation, several cartel members were killed and others wounded as security forces moved to secure the compound. Amid the firefight, Oseguera attempted to escape into the surrounding terrain with members of his security detail. Federal forces pursued him beyond the main structure, leading to a second armed confrontation in the nearby wooded area. During this exchange, cartel gunmen continued firing at advancing troops, and an official military helicopter providing aerial support was struck by gunfire, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Sayula, Jalisco. After attempting to flee the compound, security forces ultimately located Oseguera hidden in the surrounding forest's undergrowth; security forces engaged the security detail accompanying him during which he was critically wounded. Following the firefight, security forces secured the site and seized armoured vehicles, seven long firearms, two rocket launchers, and other tactical equipment. ==== Death of Oseguera ==== Security forces called for the arrival of a helicopter to transfer the then gravely injured Oseguera to Guadalajara for emergency medical treatment. However, Oseguera and two cartel members died during the flight. Due to security concerns over the risk of further violent actions by CJNG members in the capital of Jalisco, officials decided to divert the aircraft to Morelia International Airport instead of continuing to Guadalajara. There, an Air Force aircraft was prepared to transport the bodies to Mexico City. According to Mexico’s defense secretary General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, a total of eight other CJNG members were killed in the military operation to capture Oseguera. == Aftermath == === Retaliatory violence === In the immediate aftermath of the operation, numerous road blockades were established by members of the CJNG using hijacked cargo trucks, buses, and private vehicles set on fire to obstruct traffic. Security forces reported approximately 250 roadblocks nationwide. Incidents were reported in Jalisco and 19 other states, including Michoacán, Guanajuato, Colima, Tamaulipas, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, and Sinaloa. In Jalisco, security forces confirmed at least 20 active blockade points on 22 February in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. Social media posts showed a Costco building and a gas station on fire in Puerto Vallarta. Following the operation, Jalisco governor Pablo Lemus Navarro issued a Code Red alert for the state. More than 70 attacks were reported in 23 municipalities in Guanajuato. Among them were 60 arson attacks. Eighteen Banco del Bienestar branches and 69 Oxxo stores were damaged. Hugo César Macías Ureña, alias "El Tuli", considered to have been Oseguera’s right-hand man in Jalisco, was identified by security forces as responsible for coordinating the cartel’s retaliatory violence. He reportedly offered up to MX$20,000 for each soldier killed. Security forces, including an aeromobile unit of the Brigada de Fusileros Paracaidistas, attempted to apprehend him at El Grullo, Jalisco. He allegedly attempted to flee in a vehicle and opened fire on military personnel. Security forces returned fire, and Macías Ureña was fatally shot during the ensuing confrontation. The Embassy of the United States, Mexico City, sent out a security alert telling United States citizens in multiple states to shelter in place. Foreign ministries of Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada and Indonesia issued similar alerts. David Mora, an expert at the Crisis Group analysis center, attributed the power vacuum which was created in the CJNG as a result of Oseguera's death as being a major reason for the escalation in violence, stating "in the absence of a direct succession, a power vacuum is created that opens the door to violent realignments within the organization." ==== Transportation disruptions ==== Bus and urban rail services in the Guadalajara metropolitan area were temporarily suspended following the outbreak of coordinated violence. State authorities halted the public transport network, including city bus routes, the Mi Macro Periférico and the Sistema de Tren Eléctrico Urbano lines, citing security risks after vehicles were set ablaze and major roads were blocked. Long-distance services departing from the Central de Autobuses del Norte in Mexico City cancelled departures to western states, including Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Aguascalientes, due to highway closures. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), operator of Puerto Vallarta International Airport, reported that all international operations and the majority of domestic flights were cancelled following the outbreak of violence, with airlines citing security concerns and uncertainty regarding access routes to the airport. Airlines cancelling flights included Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Air Canada, WestJet, Porter Airlines, and Volaris. Airport authorities stated that no violent incidents occurred inside the terminal itself and that the facilities remained under the protection of federal security forces. GAP also reported that Guadalajara International Airport was operating normally without flight cancellations or security incidents, and passengers were advised to monitor transportation conditions and stay in close contact with their airlines, as highway blockades and violence affected access routes to the airports. ==== Arrests and deaths ==== Twenty-five people were arrested during the clashes; 11 were detained for participating in violent acts and 14 for looting. Twenty-five members of the National Guard were killed in six separate attacks in Jalisco following the operation. Around 30 cartel members were killed in Jalisco and four in Michoacán. At least three other people were killed in the clashes, including an agent of the Jalisco state prosecutor's office, a jail guard, and a civilian woman who has not been publicly identified. === Tourists === More than 1,000 visitors were stranded overnight at the Guadalajara Zoo due to the violence. The US State Department set up a 24/7 crisis hotline on 22 February to support US citizens impacted by the unrest in Mexico. The hotline fielded hundred of calls after several US carriers suspended flights to Puerto Vallarta. === CJNG leadership vacuum === Due to his son Rubén Oseguera González ("El Menchito") being imprisoned in the United States, Oseguera would not be able to have a direct successor upon his death, with the CJNG now acknowledged to have a major power vacuum. == See also == 1 May 2015 Jalisco attacks – coordinated attacks carried out by the CJNG across the state of Jalisco, including the downing of a Mexican military helicopter. Battle of Culiacán – failed attempt to capture Ovidio Guzmán López in 2019 that resulted in 6 civilian and Mexican military deaths. 2023 Sinaloa unrest – wave of violent incidents and road blockades in Sinaloa triggered by the successful arrest of Ovidio Guzmán López of the Sinaloa Cartel. Death of Pablo Escobar – killing of the Colombian cartel leader in 1993 during a joint operation by Colombian security forces. == Notes == == References ==