Mexican drug lord 'El Mencho' killed in military operation - sparking retaliatory violence

One of Mexico's most notorious drug lords, "El Mencho", has been killed in a military operation carried out by Mexican special forces ‌with "intelligence" support from the US.

The leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, whose real name is Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, was wounded in an operation to capture him in Tapalpa, Jalisco state, on Sunday.

He later died while being flown to Mexico City, the country's defence department said.

Jalisco is the base of the cartel known for trafficking large quantities of fentanyl and other drugs to the US.

The cartel was designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by Donald Trump's administration earlier this month.

During the operation, the defence department said troops came under fire and killed four people.

Three others, including Oseguera Cervantes, were wounded and later died.

Two more people were arrested, and armoured vehicles, rocket launchers and other firearms were seized.

Three members of the armed forces were also wounded.

The Foreign Office urged Britons in Mexico to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel amid the surge of violence and what it described as "serious security incidents" following "a federal law-enforcement operation against organised crime".

A spokesman said: "You should exercise extreme caution, follow local authorities' advice, including orders to stay indoors and avoid non-essential travel in affected areas."

The US Embassy in Mexico said on X that Mexican special forces carried out the operation "within the framework of bilateral cooperation, with U.S. authorities providing complementary intelligence".

US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau, previously ambassador to Mexico, said Oseguera Cervantes' killing was a "great development" for the US and Mexico, as well as the rest of Latin America.

The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed US government involvement in providing intelligence support, accusing Oseguera Cervantes of being "one of the top traffickers of fentanyl".

Roads blocked and cars set on fire

After news of Oseguera Cervantes' death, cartel henchmen blockaded highways with burning cars and torched businesses in several states, paralysing parts of the country.

Such tactics are commonly used by the cartels to block military operations.

In Jalisco's popular beach resort of Puerto Vallarta, frightened tourists on social media described a "war zone" as plumes ​of smoke billowed into the sky.

Air Canada, United Airlines, Aeromexico and American Airlines suspended flight operations on Sunday.

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The US State Department warned US citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon states to remain in safe places while security operations are carried out.

Jalisco governor Pablo Lemus told residents to stay at home and suspended public transportation. Schools in the state have also been closed on Monday.

Reaction to operation

In a post on X, President Claudia Sheinbaum said: "There is full coordination with the governments of all states; we must remain informed and calm... in most parts of the country, activities are proceeding normally.

"My recognition goes to the Mexican Army, the National Guard, the Armed Forces, and the Security Cabinet. We work every day for the peace, security, justice, and well-being of Mexico."

She said she would ​strengthen efforts to cooperate with the US to fight cartels, but vowed to uphold Mexico's sovereignty and warned against any unilateral military action ​by the US in Mexico.

In January, after the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Mr Trump said "the cartels are running Mexico", and warned "we are ⁠going to start now hitting land with regard to the cartels".

The US State Department had offered a reward of up to $15m for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho.

Oseguera Cervantes was heavily involved in drug trafficking since the 1990s.

He was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin in the US District Court for the Northern District of California in 1994 and spent almost three years in prison.

Following his release from custody, Oseguera Cervantes returned to Mexico and continued drug trafficking operations.

Since 2017, he has been indicted several times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

One of Mexico's most powerful criminal organisations

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is one of the most powerful and fastest-growing criminal organisations in Mexico.

The cartel carried out a daring assassination attempt in 2020 with grenades and high-powered rifles against the then-head of the capital's police force, who is now head of federal security, in the heart of Mexico City.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration considers it to be as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico's most notorious criminal groups.

The cartel has a presence in all 50 US states and is believed to be one of the leading suppliers of cocaine to the US market.

Like the Sinaloa cartel, it earns billions of dollars from the production of methamphetamines and fentanyl.

(c) Sky News 2026: Mexican drug lord 'El Mencho' killed in military operation - sparking retaliatory violence