In recent days, violence has erupted across Mexico following the Mexican military’s elimination of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known by his alias “El Mencho,” in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco state, on February 22. El Mencho was the powerful leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most dominant criminal organizations.
Mexican Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla revealed that authorities tracked El Mencho by following leads related to his girlfriend. The cartel boss was seriously wounded during a firefight between his security detail and Mexican special forces. He died while being transported by military helicopter from Tapalpa to Mexico City.
Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch reported that retaliatory attacks by CJNG members resulted in the deaths of 25 National Guard members, one security guard, and one civilian. Harfuch stated that 30 cartel gunmen were neutralized, according to The Guardian.
**Severe unrest — thousands of troops deployed to restore order**
As news of El Mencho’s death spread, CJNG members launched coordinated attacks in numerous towns and cities where the group operates. In some areas, they scattered nails and sharp objects on roads to block traffic; in others, they hijacked buses and other vehicles, setting them ablaze in the middle of highways.
Armed individuals torched vehicles, blocked major highways, and forced many businesses to close in a show of force, demonstrating CJNG’s operational capability even without its leader.
The city of Puerto Vallarta (Mexico) was targeted by CJNG members with arson on February 22. Photo: Gerardo Santillan/EPA/Shutterstock
Just hours after the military operation, the cartel carried out hundreds of coordinated “narco-blockades” across approximately 20 states, paralyzing major cities including Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta.
In response to the wave of unrest, Mexico deployed thousands of troops to reinforce security. Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla stated that 2,500 soldiers were sent to western Mexico on February 23. The government reported that a total of around 9,500 troops had been mobilized since February 22.
The situation later began to calm. On the morning of February 23, both President Claudia Sheinbaum and Security Minister Harfuch announced that all blockades in the 20 affected states had been cleared.
However, in a social media post on the evening of February 23, Mexico’s national security cabinet acknowledged that “some new blockades” had been set up in Jalisco that day. The cabinet — comprising officials from multiple federal security agencies, the Ministry of Security, and the Interior Ministry — reported that 83% of the new blockades had been dismantled, but seven remained active.
Mexico News reported on February 24 that acts of violence and vandalism continued to be recorded in Guadalajara (Jalisco state) — CJNG’s main stronghold — and surrounding areas.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus stated on February 24 that public transportation services had returned to normal across the state.
He also confirmed that Guadalajara’s largest wholesale market, Mercado de Abastos, was operating normally and emphasized that businesses had reopened.
“I acknowledge the efforts of transportation workers, service providers, laborers, entrepreneurs, and society as a whole. Together, we will restore our state and our cities,” Lemus wrote, adding that state authorities had deployed sufficient personnel to ensure the restoration of public transportation, food supply, and services for the hotel sector and the general population.
Many vehicles were set ablaze in Puerto Vallarta following the death of cartel leader El Mencho. Photo: Juan Carlos Williams/EL UNIVERSAL
**No more “hugs instead of bullets”**
On the government side, the operation that neutralized El Mencho signals a clear shift in approach under President Sheinbaum. Her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, famously pursued a policy encapsulated in the slogan “Abrazos, no balazos” (“Hugs, not bullets”).
“This time, a hardline stance has been adopted,” said Jean-Michel Le Prince, a Radio-Canada journalist and author of La faute à Pablo Escobar. He attributes the change to two key factors: domestic security pressures and expectations from the United States.
Under U.S. President Donald Trump, Washington has intensified pressure on Mexico to dismantle major drug-trafficking networks. President Sheinbaum has swiftly extradited prominent drug lords and increased military presence in certain border areas.
“She is clearly taking the initiative,” Le Prince said, noting that the move may also be intended to preempt any unilateral U.S. action.
Nevertheless, experts warn that this development could carry long-term political consequences. A prolonged campaign against cartels could create new political challenges and risks. Le Prince points out that the large-scale blockades launched by CJNG immediately after El Mencho’s death serve as a reminder that these are enormous criminal organizations that cannot disappear overnight.
In CJNG’s case, most analysts believe the group is unlikely to vanish. The Guardian cites U.S. officials stating that CJNG’s strength is comparable to that of the Sinaloa cartel, which operates in all 50 U.S. states.
With CJNG reportedly generating billions of dollars from fentanyl and methamphetamine production, manufacturing activities are likely to continue, according to U.S. officials.
The long-term impact in Mexico largely “depends on the succession plan CJNG had prepared in the event Cervantes was captured or eliminated,” according to The Independent. The wave of violence is expected to persist during the power transition. The severity will depend on the cartel itself, but historically, operations targeting top leaders often lead to increased violence and fragmentation of criminal groups.
“We really don’t know what will happen: the situation is extremely unstable. The map of cartels in Mexico has changed dramatically in recent years. CJNG has expanded significantly,” Le Prince observed.
According to him, El Mencho is believed to have had four key lieutenants, who may now turn against one another. “It’s possible the cartel will be run more discreetly. But as is often the case in Mexico, it’s very difficult to predict what will happen,” he added.
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