Mexico's most-wanted drug lord, Nemesio Oseguera - known as "El Mencho" - was located and killed during a carefully planned military operation that unfolded over several days, officials said. The incident set off a rapid and violent response from cartel members, producing fatalities, arrests and wide-ranging disruptions to travel and public life.
The operation began when authorities received a tip from a trusted associate of one of Oseguera's romantic partners, who was not named. Investigators followed that romantic partner to a facility in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco, where Oseguera was confirmed to be staying. Officials declined to provide further detail on the site.
On February 21 the romantic partner departed the facility, while Mexican intelligence confirmed Oseguera remained on the premises and was being guarded by his bodyguards. In response, Mexico's army, supported by National Guard military police, special forces, military aircraft and six helicopters, mounted a top-secret deployment to the area. A new U.S.-military-led task force that focuses on intelligence collection on drug cartels also played a role in the operation, according to a U.S. defense official.
Before dawn on February 22, Mexican ground forces had surrounded the area in preparation for a siege. Cartel gunmen opened fire as the operation commenced; special forces reported repelling that initial attack and said eight suspected cartel members were killed. Oseguera and members of his inner circle then fled into a nearby wooded area toward a cabin complex.
Special forces pursued the group into the undergrowth, where a second exchange of gunfire took place. Once security forces had secured the scene, they found Oseguera and two of his bodyguards wounded. A helicopter was summoned to transport them to a nearby medical facility, but Oseguera died while being flown. By that point, the raid had provoked a series of retaliatory actions by cartel members that prevented the helicopter from landing in the state capital of Guadalajara; the flight was rerouted to Morelia airport in Michoacan, and Oseguera's remains were later put on a military plane bound for Mexico City.
The killing of Oseguera produced immediate and extensive violence. The defense ministry named "El Tuli" - described as Oseguera's alleged right-hand and top financial operator - as the orchestrator of a wave of roadblocks, arson attacks and assaults on government installations across Jalisco. Authorities said "El Tuli" had offered a bounty of 20,000 pesos ($1,100) for the killing of any military personnel.
Security forces located "El Tuli" in El Grullo, a small town roughly 180 km (110 miles) southwest of Guadalajara. He attempted to flee by car and engaged the unit that moved to apprehend him; he was killed in the resulting clash, officials said.
The unrest affected civilian life and commercial activity. Several airlines canceled flights to Puerto Vallarta, a Pacific resort city in Jalisco, where tourists recorded plumes of smoke rising into the sky. In affected towns, officials urged tourists and residents to remain indoors and advised truck drivers to avoid certain routes or return to depots. Schools and universities across Jalisco and in several other states suspended classes.
Authorities reported that the wave of violence following the raid left some 30 suspected gang members, 25 National Guard troops, and a bystander dead. They added that at least 70 people were detained across seven states, and that security forces recorded 85 cartel-linked roadblocks on Sunday.
By February 23, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said at a press conference that roadblocks had ceased by Monday morning and that officials expected the situation to normalize, with flights resuming on Monday or Tuesday. Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch stated that individuals viewed as potential candidates to succeed Oseguera were under close surveillance, and that authorities remained vigilant against further retaliation - whether from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel or from other groups seeking to expand their control.
The episode drew comment from abroad: U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media that Mexico "must step up their effort on Cartels and Drugs!"
Officials also provided an exchange-rate reference: ($1 = 17.2571 Mexican pesos).
The operation eliminated the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a group identified by Mexican authorities as a major supplier of fentanyl to the United States. The rapid sequence of tactical moves, insurgent reprisals and law-enforcement responses underscores both the operational reach of the cartel and the security challenges faced by Mexican authorities in the aftermath of a decapitation strike.
Authorities continue to balance an intense security posture with efforts to restore civilian movement and commercial operations in affected regions, while keeping potential successors under surveillance to prevent an immediate reconfiguration of organized-crime leadership.