Fresh updates confirm the assassination of CJNG leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes has unleashed one of the most violent cartel reprisals in recent Mexican history. Burned vehicles, road blockades, and fierce gunbattles continue to disrupt Guadalajara and the tourist haven of Puerto Vallarta, with the confirmed death toll now standing at at least 73.

On February 22, 2026, Mexican security forces killed Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, during a military raid in Tapalpa, Jalisco. The operation sparked immediate retaliatory violence, with cartel members torching vehicles, setting fires to stores, blocking highways, and clashing with authorities across multiple states, including Jalisco, Michoacán, and Colima. U.S. tourists are being told to shelter in place.