{"id":13177,"date":"2026-02-23T16:04:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T16:04:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=13177"},"modified":"2026-02-23T16:04:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T16:04:51","slug":"el-mencho-killing-sparks-overwhelming-fear-as-violence-erupts-in-mexico-drugs-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=13177","title":{"rendered":"\u2018El Mencho\u2019 killing sparks \u2018overwhelming fear\u2019 as violence erupts in Mexico | Drugs News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">The killing of Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of Mexico\u2019s Jalisco New Generation Cartel, also known as \u201cEl Mencho\u201d, who had long been on the run from the authorities, led to a wave of violence across the country, plunging some parts into a state of chaos.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">As the leader of one of Mexico\u2019s most rapidly expanding criminal networks, the 59-year-old was notorious for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the United States, while orchestrating brazen attacks against government officials.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 1 item<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">That defiance reached a breaking point on Sunday during a high-stakes military operation in the town of Tapalpa.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">El Mencho was killed in a shootout in his home state of Jalisco as the Mexican military moved in to apprehend him. The retaliation was instantaneous. As news of the operation spread, a coordinated wave of violence exploded through the country, reaching at least 20 of Mexico\u2019s 32 states.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">Across the republic, suspected members of organised groups torched buses and businesses, and erected fiery roadblocks. For those caught in the crossfire, the speed of the chaos was a reminder of the cartels\u2019 reach.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">\u201cThe fear that remains in society is overwhelming,\u201d a resident of Zitacuaro, Michoacan, one of the states hit by the unrest, told Al Jazeera, requesting anonymity.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"7\">\u201cThat\u2019s when you realise the immense power these organisations have, because they can collapse a city in a matter of minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">\u201cThey have co-opted the leaders who manage transport, and at any moment they can block the entrances and exits of a city \u2026 they can completely paralyse a city\u2019s movement,\u201d the Michoacan resident added. \u201cAll basic services are disrupted: going to hospitals, grocery shopping, ordering food. It becomes total chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The US Embassy in Mexico issued a security alert to its citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon, urging them to remain indoors.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"9\">According to some analysts, these actions were not merely reactive chaos; they were a form of strategic communication.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"10\">\u201c[These] are the way a criminal order responds when it feels challenged,\u201d security analyst Edgar Guerra shared on <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/EdgarGuerraB\/status\/2025628759705919497\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">X<\/a>. \u201cTo understand them, you have to look at the meaning behind them, not just the fires or the territory.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4332174\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/INTERACTIVE-MEXICO-CLASHES-DRUG-CARTEL-FEB-23-2026-copy-1771851983.png?quality=80\" alt=\"INTERACTIVE - MEXICO - CLASHES - DRUG CARTEL - FEB 23, 2026 copy-1771851983\" data-interactive=\"true\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"absolute-coordination\" data-path-to-node=\"6\">\u2018Absolute coordination\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>The operation against El Mencho was carried out by Mexican special forces with intelligence support from the US.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is absolute coordination with the governments of all states; we must remain informed and calm,\u201d President Claudia Sheinbaum <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Claudiashein\/status\/2025682673008878003\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> on social media.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy recognition to the Mexican Army, National Guard, Armed Forces, and Security Cabinet. We work every day for peace, security, justice, and the wellbeing of Mexico,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>In the US, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had a $15m reward for El Mencho\u2019s capture, making him one of the most sought-after targets among druglords.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"154\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">Authorities in Jalisco, Michoacan and Guanajuato said at least 14 other people were killed in the violence on Sunday, among them seven members of the National Guard.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4331763\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4331763\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4331763\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2026-02-23T000441Z_456390632_RC2CRJAAP6ZE_RTRMADP_3_MEXICO-VIOLENCE-MENCHO-1771839187.jpg?w=770&amp;resize=770%2C529&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"An almost empty downtown area after a series of blockades and attacks by organized crime following a military operation in which Mexican officials said cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera, &quot;El Mencho,&quot; was killed, in Guadalajara\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4331763\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A nearly empty downtown area in Guadalajara after a series of blockades [Michelle Freyria\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"the-succession-crisis\">The succession crisis<\/h2>\n<p id=\"p-rc_302f029891128928-50\" data-path-to-node=\"8\">Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state and host city for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, was almost completely shut down on Sunday as fearful residents stayed home.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">Uncertainty over who might lead El Mencho\u2019s cartel hovered over the city. Chris Dalby, senior analyst at Dyami Security Intelligence, outlined two possible scenarios.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne is that [El Mencho] did appoint a successor,\u201d he told Al Jazeera. \u201cA lot of analysts are pointing to his stepson, Juan Carlos Gonzalez Valencia, his wife\u2019s son from a previous marriage whom he adopted as his own.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dalby said the heir apparent, who is in charge of the cartel\u2019s paramilitary wing, is seen as having the best shot at keeping the Jalisco New Generation Cartel united. But he would have to assume \u201ca huge role\u201d to replace the cult of personality around El Mencho.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf his stepson cannot do it, you\u2019ve got four, five, six commanders all with the money, the power and the men to create their own criminal thiefdoms,\u201d the analyst continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf that happens, and that\u2019s the worst-case scenario, you could see record levels of homicide in Mexico in the months to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">Al Jazeera\u2019s John Holman, reporting from Mexico City, said\u00a0\u201cdifferent bosses within the cartel, perhaps regional ones, could start disputing for power.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">\u201cWe\u2019ve seen this happen time and time again, from Guerrero to Sinaloa,\u201d he added, referring to other big cartels. \u201cEventually, that leads to a civil war between different factions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">The timing is particularly sensitive in the wake of the upcoming FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">\u201cThat spells additional problems for Mexico,\u201d Holman said. \u201cSo this, at the moment, is a triumph for the Mexican government, but it could turn into an even bigger problem in the weeks and months ahead,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p id=\"p-rc_302f029891128928-51\" data-path-to-node=\"12\">For common Mexicans, the fall of a kingpin could also signal the rise of extortions and forced recruitment as fractured cells within El Mencho\u2019s cartel scramble for resources.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13\">\u201cA lot of people at the moment in Jalisco \u2026 are sheltering in place. There is no school tomorrow,\u201d Holman said.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"14\">Meanwhile, some residents have turned to the streets to gauge the immediate danger, closely monitoring bus stops and taxi stands for signs of movement.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"15\">\u201cIf the city wakes up without public transport, it means something is going to happen,\u201d a resident, who requested anonymity, warned.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"15\">\u201cDifficult days are ahead of us. Even if things had somehow felt relatively calm on one side, you don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen now.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The killing of Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of Mexico\u2019s Jalisco New Generation Cartel, also known as \u201cEl Mencho\u201d, who had long been on the run from the authorities, led to a wave of violence across the country, plunging some parts into a state of chaos. As the leader of one of Mexico\u2019s most [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13178,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latin-america-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13177"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13177\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}