Violence Flares in Mexico After Top Cartel Leader ‘El Mencho’ Killed by Military

The White House confirmed that the United States provided intelligence support for the operation to capture El Mencho.

The burned wreckage of a truck, used as a barricade by cartel members in retaliation to the killing of notorious cartel leader “El Mencho” by Mexican forces, lies in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Feb. 22, 2026. Michelle Freyria/Reuters

Violence erupted across parts of Mexico after the Mexican military killed cartel leader “El Mencho” on Feb. 22, with reports of vehicles being burned on highways and gunfire reported in public spaces.

El Mencho, whose real name is Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, also known as CJNG, one of the most powerful drug organizations in the country.