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The United States praised Mexican officials on Sunday for their successful operation that led to the demise of a notorious drug cartel leader.
American intelligence played a crucial role in assisting the Mexican forces who located and confronted Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho.” As the head of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, Cervantes was killed during a gunfight when authorities attempted to detain him at his residence.
Following the death of their leader, the cartel retaliated with widespread violence across Mexico, erecting roadblocks and setting vehicles ablaze throughout the day. By late Sunday, Mexican officials reported they had managed to dismantle most of these barricades.
In Guadalajara, Jalisco’s state capital and Mexico’s second-largest city, normal daily activities came to a halt as residents chose to remain indoors amid the unrest.
A soldier guards a burnt-out vehicle in Cointzio, Michoacán state, Mexico, on Sunday, February 22, 2026, after the Jalisco New Generation cartel leader, Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” was killed. (AP Photo/Armando Solis)
Passengers arriving to the city’s international airport Sunday night were told it was operating with limited personnel because of the burst of violence.
U.S. Ambassador Ron Johnson recognized the success of the Mexican armed forces and their sacrifice in a statement late Sunday. He added that “under the leadership of President Trump and President Sheinbaum, bilateral cooperation has reached unprecedented levels.”
Cervantes, who was wounded in the operation to capture him Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco, about a two-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara, died while being flown to Mexico City, according to the War Department.
Smoke rises into the sky over Puerto Vallarta during an operation targeting cartel activity on Feb. 22, 2026. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
During the operation, troops came under fire and killed four people at the location. Three more people, including Cervantes, were wounded and later died, the statement said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on X that the U.S. government provided intelligence support for the operation.
“‘El Mencho’ was a top target for the Mexican and United States government as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland,” she wrote.
The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. The Jalisco New Generation cartel is one of the most powerful and fastest growing criminal organizations in Mexico and began operating around 2009.