Mexican Army Kills Leader Of Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Official Says

A Mexican federal official says the Mexican army has killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in a military operation.

Fabiola Sanchez

Feb 22, 2026, 01:01 PM EST
|Updated 2 hours ago

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho, ” in an operation Sunday, a federal official said, decapitating what had become Mexico’s most powerful cartel and giving the government its biggest prize yet to show the Trump administration for its efforts.

The official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said it happened during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco, where the cartel that traffics huge amounts of fentanyl and cocaine into the United States is based.



A bus set on fire by organised crime groups in response to an operation in Jalisco to arrest a high-priority security target, burns at one of the main avenues in Zapopan, state of Jalisco, Mexico, on February 22, 2026. Armed civilians blocked several roads in the state of Jalisco, in western Mexico, following an operation by federal forces in the town of Tapalpa, local authorities reported. Jalisco, which will host four matches of the upcoming 2026 World Cup, is home to the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and has been rocked by several episodes of violence in recent years. (Photo by Ulises RUIZ / AFP via Getty Images)ULISES RUIZ via AFP via Getty Images


The killing of the powerful drug lord followed several hours of roadblocks with burning vehicles in Jalisco and other states. Such tactics are commonly used by the cartels to block military operations.

Videos circulating social media showed plumes of smoke billowing over the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, and people sprinting through the airport of the state’s capital in panic. On Sunday afternoon, Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to Puerto Vallarta “due to an ongoing security situation” and advised customers not to go to their airport.

More:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ap-lt-mexico-cartel-death-jalisco-new-generation_n_699b43cfe4b050c4ef3947bc



This photo shows the father, "El Mencho" in the middle, and the son, "El Menchito", by his left shoulder. "El Menchito" ("little Mencho" or "Junior" ) became a ruthless gangster, as well.