Bold claim: the death of El Mencho triggered a wave of violence and fear across Mexico, raising questions about what happens next and who bears the consequences. The following rewrite preserves the original events and details while presenting them in fresh wording with clearer explanations and added context.
More than 70 people died in the immediate aftermath of Mexico’s attempt to capture Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader known as El Mencho, and in the ensuing chaos blamed on the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Updated security tallies show at least 73 fatalities, including members of security forces, cartel suspects, and civilians, as authorities reported on Monday local time.
El Mencho headed one of Mexico’s most rapidly expanding criminal networks, notorious for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to the United States and for brazen attacks against government targets. In response to his death, the cartel intensified violence, blocking roads and torching vehicles in protest and retaliation.
To manage the fallout, Mexican authorities deployed roughly 2,000 additional military troops to the western state of Jalisco, where the clashes occurred following the capture and killings of El Mencho and two of his bodyguards. Officials said he died after a shootout at his home state as Mexican forces attempted the capture operation.
Defence Secretary Ricardo Trevilla indicated that investigators tracked one of El Mencho’s romantic partners to a hideout in Tapalpa. Oseguera Cervantes and two bodyguards reportedly fled into a wooded area, where they were severely wounded in a firefight and subsequently died while being transported to Mexico City.
In another location within Jalisco, soldiers killed another high-ranking cartel member accused of coordinating violence and offering more than $1,000 (roughly $1,400) per soldier killed as incentive. The toll from the violence included 25 members of the Mexican National Guard, who were killed across six separate attacks, according to Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch.
Harfuch also said around 30 criminals were killed in Jalisco, with four more killed in the neighboring state of Michoacán. A prison guard and a state prosecutor’s office agent were among the fatalities.
As tensions rose, several Mexican states canceled school for the day, and both domestic and international governments advised their citizens to stay indoors. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged the public to remain calm.
Authorities reported that all of the more than 250 cartel roadblocks across 20 states had been cleared by Monday.
The United States welcomed the operation, with the White House confirming that U.S. intelligence supported the effort to capture El Mencho and praising Mexico’s armed forces for removing a top target in a global fentanyl trafficking network. Some observers had hoped his death would ease U.S. pressure on Mexico to do more against cartels, but worries about cartel retaliation persisted.
The potential for further violence remains a concern. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico announced shelter-in-place and remote-work guidance for personnel in eight cities and in Michoacán, and urged U.S. citizens in many parts of Mexico to take similar precautions.
In Guadalajara, traffic began to pick up before sunrise on Monday, contrasting with Sunday when fear had left the city nearly empty. A large crowd remained stranded at the city’s zoo overnight, with more than 1,000 people sleeping aboard buses. Zoo director Luis Soto Rendón explained that families had chosen to shelter there for safety, as conditions outside remained volatile.
Meanwhile, residents faced shortages and bottlenecks: a therapist named José Luis Ramírez waited in a long line outside a pharmacy, with open stores providing essential goods through a guarded entrance, while another traveler described a nerve-wracking journey due to road closures and burning vehicles.
Among the ripple effects, transnational travelers like Provan Crump reported heightened caution as they navigated disrupted highways and closed services. Some locals and visitors urged vigilance and urged others to monitor the situation closely.
U.S. policy responses have included heightened talk of pressure on Mexico to curb fentanyl trafficking. President Donald Trump publicly pressed Mexico to do more, while a U.S. ambassador lauded the bilateral cooperation achieved under recent leadership, noting that intelligence-sharing has reached unprecedented levels. Still, experts warn that defeating one major cartel could unleash competition and violence among other criminal groups seeking territory and control.
David Mora, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, suggested this moment could invite opportunistic competition from rival cartels that may try to fill the power vacuum left by El Mencho’s death. He cautioned that the security approach under President Sheinbaum has become more aggressive, signaling that continued cooperation with the United States could be productive without deploying U.S. troops on Mexican soil.
The U.S. State Department had previously placed a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to El Mencho’s arrest. Since its emergence around 2009, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel has become one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations, noted for aggressive tactics against authorities, drone-based attacks, and even mine installations. In February 2025, the cartel was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
AP/ABC
