In a significant win against organized crime, U.S. officials have praised Mexican forces for their successful operation that led to the demise of a notorious drug cartel leader. On Sunday, Mexican authorities, with intelligence support from the U.S., managed to eliminate Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, infamously known as “El Mencho,” who headed the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Cervantes met his end in a fierce gunfight with Mexican forces at his residence, as they attempted a high-stakes capture operation. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most formidable criminal organizations, reacted to their leader’s death with a wave of violence across the country.
In retaliation, the cartel unleashed chaos, erecting roadblocks and setting vehicles ablaze throughout Mexico on Sunday. However, by late in the day, Mexican authorities reported that they had successfully dismantled most of these roadblocks.
The city of Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state and Mexico’s second-largest urban area, was eerily silent as residents chose to remain indoors, wary of the violence unfolding around them.
Visuals from the aftermath show a soldier vigilantly standing guard beside a burnt-out vehicle in Cointzio, Michoacán state, a stark reminder of the cartel’s fierce backlash following El Mencho’s death. (AP Photo/Armando Solis)
In a related impact, travelers arriving at Guadalajara’s international airport on Sunday night faced disruptions, as the airport operated with a reduced staff due to the violent unrest.
U.S. Amb. Ron Johnson recognized the success of the Mexican armed forces and their sacrifice in a statement late Sunday. He added that “under the leadership of President Trump and President Sheinbaum, bilateral cooperation has reached unprecedented levels.”
Cervantes, who was wounded in the operation to capture him Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco, about a two-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara, died while being flown to Mexico City, according to the Defense Department.
Smoke rises into the sky over Puerto Vallarta during an operation targeting cartel activity on Feb. 22, 2026. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
During the operation, troops came under fire and killed four people at the location. Three more people, including Cervantes, were wounded and later died, the statement said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on X that the U.S. government provided intelligence support for the operation.
“‘El Mencho’ was a top target for the Mexican and United States government as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland,” she wrote.
The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is one of the most powerful and fastest growing criminal organizations in Mexico and began operating around 2009.
