Violence breaks out in Mexico after the cartel leader “El Mencho” is killed in a fight

Clashes erupted in parts of western Mexico on Sunday during a military operation that led to the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, sparking security concerns across the region.

Mexican security forces killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” during an operation in the western region of Jalisco, Mexico’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement on X. He said he was injured during a raid in the town of Tapalpa and died while being rushed to Mexico City.

The state of Jalisco is the base of a cartel known to smuggle large amounts of fentanyl and other drugs into the United States.

The US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, who also confirmed the cartel leader’s death, described him as “one of the bloodiest and most merciless victims of drugs.”

“This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. Good people are stronger than bad,” he told X.

A U.S. defense official told CBS News that the U.S. military is participating in the program through the Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel, which works regularly with the Mexican military through the U.S. Northern Command. The official emphasized that “this was a Mexican military operation, so the success is theirs.”

During the operation, the soldiers rioted and killed four people in the area. Three other people, including Oseguera Cervantes, were injured and later died, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement. Two others were arrested and armored vehicles, explosives and rockets and other weapons were seized. Three members of the army were injured and are undergoing treatment.

The killing of a drug veteran caused a traffic jam for hours in Jalisco and other states. Such tactics are often used by cartels to thwart military operations.

Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus Navarro opened “code red,” which is a protocol for an emergency or security crisis, in response to conflicts. In a text written on X, he said that public transportation has been suspended throughout Jalisco and urged the people of the area to stay in their homes until the situation is under control.

Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke in the city of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco’s largest city, running from the airport in the state capital in panic.

In Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco and Mexico’s second-largest city where the World Cup is scheduled to host the games this summer, burned cars blocked the streets.

A similar situation occurred at the airport in Reynosa, a city on the Mexican border in the state of Tamaulipas, local sources and family members in the city told CBS News’ Nidia Cavazos. They said the roads to and from the airport were blocked by cartel members. Reynosa is on the border of McAllen, Texas, and is often full of American commuters. While the international bridges were open, the main roads leading to the bridges were closed.

The US State Department issued a security alert advising US citizens in several Mexican states, including Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon, to take shelter until further notice.

Air Canada has temporarily suspended operations at the Puerto Vallarta airport due to what it described as the “ongoing security situation in Puerto Vallarta” that has impacted the airport.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with local authorities who are working to resolve the matter,” the airline said.

Southwest and Alaska Airlines confirmed they canceled flights to and from Puerto Vallarta on Sunday, while Delta Air Lines issued travel waivers for customers flying into and out of Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara airports.

“The safety of our customers and employees always comes first and we are closely monitoring the situation in the region. We have taken steps to adjust our operations accordingly and are working to communicate with our affected customers,” Delta said in a statement.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG, is one of the most powerful and fastest growing criminal organizations in Mexico. Oseguera Cervantes, 59, was originally from Aguililla in the neighboring state of Michoacán. He has been heavily involved in drug trafficking activities since the 1990s. He helped found the Jalisco New Generation Cartel with Érick Valencia Salazar, known as “El 85,” around 2007.

Valencia Salazar was among 29 leaders wanted in the US last February, according to the Department of Justice.

The Jalisco cartel has been one of the most aggressive in its military attacks – including helicopters – and is a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and planting mines. In 2020, he made a spectacular assassination attempt with bombs and high-powered guns in the heart of Mexico City against the former head of the capital’s police and now the federal security secretary.

The DEA considers the cartel as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico’s most notorious criminal gangs, which is present in all 50 US states.

As of 2017, Oseguera Cervantes has been indicted several times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The US State Department had issued a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to El Mencho’s arrest.

In February 2025, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization, saying that in addition to fentanyl trafficking, the group is “involved in extortion, people smuggling, oil and mineral theft, and arms trafficking.”