Top Mexican drug cartel leader killed

The Mexican army announced Sunday that it had killed powerful drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera in an operation that sparked a wave of violence in various parts of the country.

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Handout photo published by the US State Department on December 4, 2024, showing a reward poster for the powerful Mexican drug cartel leader Nemesio Ruben Oseguera. Mexico confirmed on February 22, 2026, that soldiers killed a powerful drug cartel leader who was one of the most wanted men here and in the United States. AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

Oseguera, the 59-year-old leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was wounded in a clash with soldiers in the town of Tapalpa, in Jalisco state, and died while being flown to Mexico City, the army said in a statement. He had a $15 million US bounty on his head.

Gunmen retaliating for the raid blocked more than 20 roads in western Jalisco state, burning cars and trucks. As violence spread across the country, at least eight states suspended in-person classes and the judiciary authorized judges to close courts where necessary.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged citizens to remain calm.

Oseguera, whose nickname was “El Mencho,” is one of the biggest Mexican drug lords to be taken down since the capture of the founders of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and Ismael Zambada. Both are now serving time in the United States.