{"id":189603,"date":"2026-02-23T05:00:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T05:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/189603\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T05:00:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T05:00:10","slug":"mexico-on-edge-after-killing-of-cjng-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/189603\/","title":{"rendered":"Mexico on edge after killing of CJNG leader"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/a>A man rides a bike next to a convenience store that was set on fire, in San Francisco del Ricon, Guanajuato state, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, after the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, known as \u201cEl Mencho.\u201d (AP Photo\/Alfredo Valadez)<\/p>\n

The Mexican army killed the leader of the\u00a0Jalisco New Generation Cartel<\/a> , Nemesio Rub\u00e9n Oseguera Cervantes,\u00a0\u201cEl Mencho<\/a>,\u201d on Sunday.<\/p>\n

The move effectively decapitated what had become Mexico\u2019s most powerful cartel, giving the government its biggest prize yet.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the United States Consulate issued a warning<\/a> to potential visitors to towns along the border, citing reports of roadblocks and unspecified \u201ccriminal activity\u201d across the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll U.S. government staff at Consulate General Tijuana and all U.S. government staff in Guerrero, Michoacan, and Quintana Roo states have been directed to shelter in place,\u201d the warning said. \u201cAll U.S. government staff at Consulate General Monterrey have been directed to remain in the Monterrey metropolitan area.<\/p>\n

While no airports have been closed, roadblocks have impacted airline operations, with some domestic and international flights cancelled in both Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta.\u00a0 All taxis and ride shares are suspended in Puerto Vallarta. \u00a0Some businesses have suspended operations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hundreds of Oxxo stores and some public transit have been shut down in Tijuana<\/a> following at least two targeted attacks<\/a>. Some toll booths in the Tecate area have also been closed down. <\/p>\n

Officials in Mexico have been asked to refrain from sharing unverified rumors. <\/p>\n

Roadblocks and burning vehicles<\/p>\n

The killing of the powerful drug lord set off several hours of roadblocks with burning vehicles in Jalisco and other states. Such tactics are commonly used by the cartels to block military operations. Jalisco canceled school in the state for Monday.<\/p>\n

Videos circulating on 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\u2019s capital in panic. On Sunday afternoon, Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to Puerto Vallarta \u201cdue to an ongoing security situation\u201d and advised customers not to go to their airport.<\/p>\n

At least one San Diegan vacationing in Puerto Vallarta was advised to shelter in place Sunday at the resort where she is staying. <\/p>\n

\u201cInteresting last full day in Puerto Vallarta today before heading home tomorrow ????.\u201d San Diego attorney Leslie Devaney<\/a> posted Sunday to Facebook. \u201cGot to lobby of our building this morning as we witnessed men dressed in black with masks igniting cars on the street and then gunfire and blasts all around the area. We hurried back to our rooms to shelter as advised by staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Devaney told City News Service that it appeared the cartel was demonstrating a show of power to Mexican federal officials across the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cStreets were abandoned and no apparent attempt to harm tourists,\u201d Devaney said. \u201cWe are confined to our rooms for today.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Devaney said she was not concerned for her safety, she wasn\u2019t so sure about leaving Mexico on Monday as scheduled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are sheltering in place in Zona Romantica. Seems like tourists are not targeted,\u201d Devaney said. \u201cNot concerned for safety from what I hear. Don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll make it out as planned tomorrow, but flight still says going.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Guadalajara, the state capital, burning vehicles blocked roads. Mexico\u2019s second-largest city is scheduled to\u00a0host matches<\/a> during this summer\u2019s soccer World Cup.<\/p>\n

The U.S. State Department warned U.S. citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon states to remain in safe places due to the ongoing security operations. Canada\u2019s embassy in Mexico warned its citizens in Puerto Vallarta to shelter in place and generally to keep a low profile in Jalisco.<\/p>\n

Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus told residents to stay at home and suspended public transportation.<\/p>\n

Emergency assistance for U.S. citizens was available at 55-8526 2561 from Mexico and +1 (844) 528-6611 from the United States.<\/p>\n

US had offered up to $15 million for his capture<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Jalisco New Generation Cartel,<\/a>\u00a0known as CJNG, is one of the most powerful and fastest growing criminal organizations in Mexico and was born in 2009.<\/p>\n

In February, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization. The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. <\/p>\n

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, like her predecessor, has criticized the \u201ckingpin\u201d strategy of previous administrations that took out cartel leaders only to trigger explosions of violence as cartels fractured. While she has remained popular in Mexico, security is a persistent concern and since U.S. President Donald Trump took office a year ago, she has been under tremendous pressure to show results against drug trafficking.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, Sheinbaum applauded Mexican security forces and called for calm.<\/p>\n

A Jalisco state official who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly said that a member of the National Guard died in Tapalpa during the operation, a jail guard was killed at a lockup in Puerto Vallarta when prisoners rioted, and an agent from the Jalisco state prosecutor\u2019s office was killed in Guadalajara. Details were not immediately available.<\/p>\n

Known as an aggressive cartel<\/p>\n

The Jalisco cartel has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks on the military \u2014 including on helicopters \u2014 and is a\u00a0pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines<\/a>. In 2020, it carried out a spectacular assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then head of the capital\u2019s police force and now federal security secretary.<\/p>\n

The DEA considers the cartel to be as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico\u2019s most infamous criminal groups, with a presence in all 50 U.S. states. It is one of the main suppliers of cocaine to the U.S. market and, like the Sinaloa cartel, earns billions from the production of fentanyl and methamphetamines. Sinaloa, however, has been weakened by infighting after the loss of its leaders Ismael \u201cEl Mayo\u201d Zambada and Joaqu\u00edn \u201cEl Chapo\u201d Guzm\u00e1n, both in U.S. custody.<\/p>\n

Oseguera Cervantes, 59, was originally from Aguililla in the neighboring state of Michoacan. He had been significantly involved in drug trafficking activities since the 1990s. When he was younger, he migrated to the U.S. where he was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 1994 and served nearly three years in prison.<\/p>\n

Following his release from custody, Oseguera Cervantes returned to Mexico and reengaged in drug trafficking activity with drug lord Ignacio Coronel Villarreal, alias \u201cNacho Coronel.\u201d After Villarreal\u2019s death, Oseguera Cervantes and Erik Valencia Salazar, alias \u201cEl 85,\u201d created the Jalisco New Generation Cartel around 2007.<\/p>\n

Initially, they worked for the Sinaloa Cartel, but eventually split and for years the two cartels have battled for territory across Mexico.<\/p>\n

Indicted several times in the United States<\/p>\n

Since 2017, Oseguera Cervantes had been indicted several times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.<\/p>\n

The most recent superseding indictment, filed on April 5, 2022, charged Oseguera Cervantes with conspiracy and distribution of controlled substances (methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl) for the purpose of illegal importation into the United States and use of firearms during and in connection with drug trafficking offenses. Oseguera Cervantes was also charged under the Drug Kingpin Enforcement Act for directing a continuing criminal enterprise.<\/p>\n

Last year, people searching for\u00a0missing relatives<\/a>\u00a0founds piles of shoes and other clothing, as well as bone fragments at what authorities later said was a\u00a0Jalisco cartel recruitment and training site<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A man rides a bike next to a convenience store that was set on fire, in San Francisco…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":189604,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[88986,88845,2457,74,76,75],"class_list":{"0":"post-189603","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-cjng","9":"tag-el-mencho","10":"tag-mexico","11":"tag-san-diego","12":"tag-san-diego-headlines","13":"tag-san-diego-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189603\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}