US hails Mexico after cartel kingpin killed

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has called the operation a major victory for the whole world

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has praised Mexico’s security forces for eliminating one of the country’s most wanted drug lords, calling it a major victory for the region and the world.

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as El Mencho, was wounded during a joint operation led by the Mexican army in the town of Tapalpa in the western state of Jalisco, and later died while being flown to Mexico City, the Mexican Defense Ministry said. He led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal groups and allegedly a major supplier of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamines to the US market.

The cartel was designated a foreign terrorist organization by Washington last year. Oseguera was the most-wanted person in Mexico and among the most sought-after suspects in the US, with rewards of up to $15 million offered for information leading to his capture.

“I’ve just been informed that Mexican security forces have killed ‘El Mencho,’ one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins. This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world,” Landau wrote on X on Sunday, adding that “the good guys are stronger than the bad guys.”

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described Cervantes as “an infamous drug lord” and confirmed that the US had provided intelligence support for the operation. “‘El Mencho’ was a top target for the Mexican and United States governments as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland,” she wrote on X, adding that the administration of President Donald Trump thanked “the Mexican military for their cooperation and successful execution of this operation.”

According to Mexican authorities, troops came under fire during the raid. Several suspected cartel gunmen were killed, while others were wounded or arrested, and weapons, including armored vehicles and rocket launchers, were seized.

The operation triggered unrest across parts of Jalisco, with videos circulating online showing smoke plumes rising from torched cars and commercial buildings. Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro declared a state of emergency and urged residents to remain indoors as security forces sought to contain the violence.

⚡️BREAKING: U.S. citizens are being urged to shelter in place in parts of Jalisco as cartel violence and roadblocks flare, with smoke visible around Puerto Vallarta following the reported hit on CJNG leadership.

This is a cartel credibility demonstration aimed at three… pic.twitter.com/552gxGOgQL

— SightBringer (@_The_Prophet__) February 22, 2026

Oh God help!!! This is sad????????????
Violent scenes from Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco region, Mexico, after CJNG launch retaliatory attacks following the elimination of their leader El Mencho. pic.twitter.com/W0MXURkc5r

— Oboo Emma???????? (@Oboo28) February 23, 2026

Footage from the Guadalajara Airport, Mexico’s third largest, shows people running in fear as gunshots go off in the distance. All flights in and out of the airports of Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara have been suspended due to the unrest.

????ÚLTIMA HORA???? Después de que Estados Unidos, vía los servicios especiales militares mexicanos, eliminarán hoy al máximo líder, "El Mencho", del Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) en México, el Cártel ha respondido asaltando el aeropuerto de Guadalajara con hombres armados.… pic.twitter.com/XSLjEBBDLU

— Jorge L. Rodríguez (@rodriguezjorgel) February 22, 2026

CJNG violence has also spread to the states of Michoacan, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Colima, and Oaxaca, with video footage showing armed cartel members patrolling streets as gunfire echoes.

Sicarios del CJNG son captados dando vueltas como pndjos y disparando a un temible monumento en Zacapu, Michoacán https://t.co/orAxhjQZOT pic.twitter.com/nt2DO2lFpo

— Blog del Narco México (@blogdelnarcomex) February 23, 2026

ESTALLA JALISCO... CJNG vs Guardia Mexicana.#GeneracionIndependencia pic.twitter.com/95bYBmaPQY

— Cristian Crespo F. ???????? (@cristiancrespoj) February 22, 2026