A Cartel War Against The Military Has Broken Out In Mexico

• 23.02.2026, 12:47

In response, cartel fighters set cars on fire and blocked roads in a number of cities.

Mexican special forces on Sunday eliminated Nemesio "Mencho" Oseguera, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel and the country's most wanted drug lord, for whose head the U.S. has placed a $15 million bounty. In response, cartel fighters set cars on fire and blocked roads in Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and on the US border, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Oseguera was killed in a raid in the municipality of Tapalpa, 130 kilometers southwest of Guadalajara. The operation involved military intelligence, the air force and the National Guard's elite Immediate Response Force. Four cartel operatives died on the spot, while three others, including Oseguera, died during transportation to Mexico City.

A former police officer who sold avocados in his youth, Oseguera turned Jalisco into Mexico's largest drug cartel, displacing Sinaloa. His men transported tons of cocaine from Colombia in speedboats and semi-submarines. His personal guards were armed with portable anti-tank missile systems.