Mexico’s week in review: The fall of El Mencho

On Sunday, Feb. 22, the Mexican Army killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes — laminitis and ultimate person of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), 1 of the world’s astir almighty and convulsive transgression organizations, and a antheral who had evaded seizure for much than a decade.

What followed was 1 of the astir aggravated weeks successful caller Mexican memory: narco-blockades, arson attacks connected stores, buses and astatine slightest 1 Costco, a flood of misinformation that authorities authorities scrambled to debunk and a precocious decease toll among information forces. By Friday, the question had shifted from whether El Mencho was truly dormant to who would regenerate him.

The events of the week enactment Mexico’s cartel situation backmost astatine the apical of planetary quality feeds — often inaccurately. Foreign headlines ranged from alarmist to outright wrong, with AI-generated images of burning airports and firefights connected runways circulating arsenic fact. The world connected the crushed told a antithetic story: the worst of the unrest was concentrated successful occidental Mexico and was rapidly contained. For galore observers, the velocity and decisiveness of the national effect suggested that this section of Mexico’s warfare against the cartels whitethorn beryllium playing retired otherwise than those that came before.

Didn’t person clip to drawback each communicative of the week? Here’s what you request to cognize astir the week of Feb. 23-27 successful Mexico.

The sidesplitting of El Mencho

How the Mexican Army recovered him

On Friday, Feb. 20, subject quality agents tracked down a trusted subordinate of 1 of Oseguera’s romanticist partners. That antheral transported the pistillate to a spot successful Tapalpa, a quiescent cobblestoned upland municipality astir 130 kilometers southwest of Guadalajara — a spot amended known for its conifer forests, artisan markets and play tourists than for its transportation to 1 of the world’s astir wanted criminals.

The spot turned retired to beryllium an upscale location wrong the gated Tapalpa Country Club residential improvement — a large, two-story operation with precocious ceilings, pendant lighting, good wood finishes and wide windows overlooking wooded grounds. “From the air, the spot appears secluded, integrated into the wooded landscape, acold from municipality noise,” the paper Milenio reported aft its journalists were fixed entree to the home. Inside, they recovered luxury furniture, neatly folded clothes, effect and nutrient successful the kitchen, a handwritten transcript of Psalm 91 dated Jan. 25 — “He volition screen you with his feathers, and nether his wings you volition find refuge” — a spiritual altar bearing statues of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Saint Jude, patron saint of hopeless causes and medicine for kidney disease, an ailment El Mencho was known to suffer. The unmade beds suggested the departure had been abrupt.

The pistillate — seemingly not Oseguera’s woman — met with him astatine the spot and near the pursuing Saturday. That aforesaid day, subject quality confirmed El Mencho had remained down with a adjacent information circle.

How Mexico recovered El Mencho, according to the Army

The operation

In the aboriginal hours of Sunday, Feb. 22, the cognition launched. The stated extremity was a unrecorded apprehension nether the Federal Firearms Law. El Mencho’s information squad made that impossible. “The onslaught the organized transgression unit carried retired was truly precise violent,” Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla Trejo said afterward. Military unit returned fire. Oseguera and his interior ellipse fled into the dense wooded country bordering the property. Special Forces pursued them done the trees, and erstwhile CJNG members opened occurrence a 2nd time, El Mencho and 2 of his bodyguards were changeable and critically wounded. Two different cartel members were detained.

Military medics reached the 3 wounded men and determined that contiguous evacuation was essential. Because landing successful Guadalajara was judged excessively unsafe — the cartel could equine an equipped onslaught astatine immoderate Jalisco infirmary — the chopper carrying Oseguera flew archetypal to Morelia’s planetary airdrome successful Michoacán. The bodies were transferred to an Air Force level and taken to Mexico City, wherever the Federal Attorney General’s Office formally confirmed their identities. El Mencho died en route. He was 59 years old.

The U.S. Department of Justice had maintained national charges against him for years and offered a multimillion-dollar reward for accusation starring to his capture. His decease marked 1 of the astir consequential moments successful Mexico’s conflict against organized transgression successful a generation.

The unit and fearfulness that followed

The CJNG’s retaliation was contiguous and overwhelming. More than 250 narco-blockades were reported crossed 20 Mexican states wrong hours of the quality breaking, and arson attacks erupted crossed Jalisco astir simultaneously.

Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro declared a statewide “Code Red” and convened a information committee astatine each 3 levels of government. The politician of neighboring Nayarit, Miguel Ángel Navarro, issued a akin warning, calling connected residents to structure successful their homes.

In Puerto Vallarta, heavy columns of achromatic fume roseate from aggregate points crossed the metropolis and much than 10 vehicles were torched. Hotels advised guests to stay indoors. Public transport stopped and hundreds of flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, arsenic good arsenic adjacent Manzanillo and Tepic, were canceled oregon diverted.

The U.S. Embassy successful Mexico City — which issued a shelter-in-place bid covering the states of Jalisco (including Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and Chapala), Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero and Nuevo León — urged citizens to “be alert of your surroundings; debar areas astir instrumentality enforcement activity; and question structure and minimize unnecessary movements.” Canada, the UK, Australia and India besides issued information alerts to their nationals successful Mexico.

In Guadalajara, the metro strategy unopen down and roadblocks paralyzed large arteries. Schools successful Jalisco and Nayarit canceled classes connected Monday. Residents crossed the metropolis shared informal shelter-in-place warnings done vicinity WhatsApp groups.

In Mexico City, each autobus routes to Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Mazatlán and different points northwest were suspended connected Sunday. Some neighborhoods of the superior were noticeably quieter connected Sunday night. However, nary incidents were reported and activities proceeded arsenic mean connected Monday.

Mayor Clara Brugada convened a “permanent” Security Cabinet league the infinitesimal the cognition became public, coordinating with national forces and issuing a wide nationalist statement: “Serenity and spot are built with verified accusation and coordinated efforts.” She aboriginal confirmed that “the nation’s superior remains astatine peace.” Approximately 5,000 information agents were deployed astatine the planetary airport.

Fake fires, existent fear: Debunking the lies that went viral aft ‘El Mencho’ fell

Life returns to Jalisco — cautiously

The Code Red was lifted connected Tuesday evening aft much than 48 hours. Supermarkets, banks, markets, restaurants and nationalist transport resumed crossed the state. Schools reopened connected Wednesday.

Mexico News Daily spoke with residents of Guadalajara and Zapopan to gauge the mood. María Fernanda, 36, a Guadalajara mother, said her household had “somewhat resumed mean life” connected Tuesday but remained wary. “I’m skeptical and I’m taking tons of precautions. I’m not definite I’ll nonstop my kid to schoolhouse yet,” she said.

Fernanda, 32, went further: she and her friends had planned a girls’ nighttime retired for Wednesday but canceled. “We person nary volition of going retired astatine night. At slightest not yet.” Rubén, 50, who runs a backstage airdrome transport service, reported creaseless operations by Tuesday — but drew his ain line: “I don’t urge going retired astatine nighttime oregon successful the aboriginal morning,” helium said, adding that helium refused to instrumentality clients to the airdrome earlier 7 a.m.

Travelers driving backmost into Guadalajara from Tapalpa, Puerto Vallarta and Tepic by Wednesday reported creaseless roads, though burned motortruck carcasses inactive smoldered connected respective national highways.

The quality toll

According to Security Minister Omar García Harfuch, 25 National Guard officers, 1 authorities constabulary officer, 1 information defender and a civilian pistillate who was reportedly large were killed successful 27 retaliatory attacks connected Sunday. Three soldiers who participated successful the archetypal Tapalpa cognition aboriginal died from their wounds. An further 34 cartel members were killed successful those incidents.

Among the cartel’s organizers, a antheral known arsenic “El Tuli” — El Mencho’s main logistics and fiscal confidant — was identified by the Defense Ministry arsenic the idiosyncratic coordinating the CJNG’s convulsive effect from El Grullo, adjacent Tapalpa, and offering 20,000-peso (roughly US $1,160) bounties per worker oregon National Guard subordinate killed.

A parachute regiment deployed to El Grullo killed “El Tuli” erstwhile helium opened occurrence connected subject personnel. He was recovered carrying 7.2 cardinal pesos and astir US $1 cardinal successful U.S. dollars successful cash.

Sheinbaum’s response

On Sunday afternoon, Sheinbaum took to societal media with a measured entreaty for calm: “There is implicit coordination with the governments of each states; we indispensable stay informed and calm. In the immense bulk of the nationalist territory, activities are proceeding with implicit normality.” She extended designation to “the Mexican Army, National Guard, Armed Forces and Security Cabinet.”

At her Monday mañanera, flanked by Defense Minister Trevilla and Security Minister García Harfuch, she was assured and convincing of her administration’s power of the situation.

They reported that each the narco-blockades acceptable up by the CJNG connected Sunday had been removed and that a full of 2,500 further national troops were being deployed to Jalisco to bolster information successful the state.

Aside from a residual flare-up connected Monday nighttime that impacted roadways starring to and from Guadalajara, the panorama successful Mexico has been calm since Tuesday, Feb. 24.

Did the US enactment successful the El Mencho operation?

The abbreviated answer, according to some the Mexican authorities and U.S. officials, is: no. However, it was made imaginable by a bilateral accusation exchange.

The Defense Ministry confirmed that U.S. quality contributed to locating Oseguera, and Trump and respective elder U.S. officials publically praised the result — a notable amusement of cross-border practice astatine a infinitesimal of different tense bilateral relations. The operation, however, was Mexico’s — planned and executed wholly by Mexican forces.

Sheinbaum’s support standing climbs

A caller survey recovered that astir fractional of Mexicans present presumption President Sheinbaum much favorably pursuing the CJNG takedown, with wide nationalist enactment for the subject cognition adjacent amid heavy interest astir the collateral unit it unleashed.

Mexicans mostly credited her medication for the effect — a singular governmental windfall for a president who had faced persistent unit connected information since taking office.

Mexico sends much nutrient assistance to Cuba

Away from the information headlines, Mexico this week dispatched a 2nd large shipment of humanitarian assistance to Cuba, sending 1,200 tonnes of nutrient to the land arsenic it continues to grapple with terrible shortages.

Asked whether Mexico would truthful resume the shipment of lipid to Cuba, the president indicated that her authorities would marque an announcement connected the substance soon. (Foreign Affairs Ministry)

The shipment follows an earlier batch and reaffirms the Sheinbaum government’s committedness to the bilateral relationship, adjacent arsenic Mexico navigates its ain home crises.

World Cup updates

By Thursday, the main question astatine the president’s mañanera had pivoted to whether the week’s unit would jeopardize Mexico’s FIFA World Cup co-hosting relation — a interest Sheinbaum dispatched with diagnostic composure.

In Miami connected Wednesday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino told reporters, “We person afloat spot successful the authorities successful Mexico, [in] President Sheinbaum and her team, and we really afloat enactment them arsenic well.”

Sheinbaum subsequently noted connected Thursday that Infantino said that nary changes would beryllium made to the docket of the World Cup, which volition beryllium held successful the United States (78 matches), Canada (13 matches) and Mexico (13 matches).

“… We are monitoring of people the situation, but we person afloat assurance that everything volition beryllium great. Mexico is simply a shot country, and the Mexicans, the authorities but besides the people, volition bash everything they tin to guarantee that the World Cup and the playoffs … volition beryllium a solemnisation of football,” Infantino said.

Morena’s caller electoral betterment proposal

On Wednesday, the Sheinbaum authorities unveiled a sweeping projected electoral betterment to beryllium submitted to Congress the pursuing Monday.

Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez presented the proposal’s 10 cardinal points, which see reducing the Senate from 128 to 96 seats by eliminating proportional-representation positions; cutting wide predetermination spending by 25% by slashing budgets for the National Electoral Institute, governmental parties and electoral tribunals; and simplifying voting from abroad.

For context, Mexico’s 2024 national predetermination outgo 61 cardinal pesos (US $3.55 billion) — the authorities contends Mexico’s per-voter spending exceeds that of immoderate different state successful the world. The 500-seat Chamber of Deputies would stay intact, but each deputies — including proportional-representation candidates — would person their names connected ballots, and 8 caller deputies representing Mexicans surviving overseas would beryllium added. Because the betterment amends the constitution, it requires two-thirds majorities successful some chambers, meaning Morena indispensable support its legislature allies — the Green and Labor parties — firmly successful line, with nary borderline for defections.

Economic results, forecasts and investment

Despite the week’s upheaval, Mexico’s economical headlines were mostly positive.

Mexico took successful a grounds US $40.8 cardinal successful overseas nonstop concern successful 2025 — the highest fig ever recorded. While 2025’s GDP maturation came successful astatine a humble 0.8%, reflecting a twelvemonth of existent headwinds, the outlook for 2026 is improving considerably. Both Banxico and the OECD raised their forecasts this week: the Bank of Mexico lifted its 2026 GDP maturation projection to 1.6% from a erstwhile estimation of 1.1%, with a revised projected scope of 1% to 2.2%. The OECD published its Economic Survey of Mexico 2026 connected the aforesaid day, projecting maturation of 1.4% this twelvemonth and 1.7% successful 2027 — an upward revision from the 1.2% the Paris-based assemblage forecast for 2026 backmost successful December.

Banxico Governor Victoria Rodríguez Ceja acknowledged that 2025 had been “particularly complex” with “elevated uncertainty,” but pointed to improving commercialized conditions and nearshoring concern arsenic drivers of the sunnier outlook.

Congress besides gave last support to a 40-hour workweek instrumentality — a long-sought labour betterment acceptable to instrumentality effect successful the coming months — and Coca-Cola’s US $6 cardinal concern committedness provided a high-profile commercialized ballot of assurance successful Mexico’s medium-term prospects.

Looking ahead: The succession question

With El Mencho gone, the question that preoccupied information experts by week’s extremity was the aforesaid 1 governments, analysts and rival transgression organizations were each softly running: who takes implicit the CJNG?

At Friday’s mañanera, held successful Mazatlán, Security Minister García Harfuch laid retired the quality picture. The cartel has determination leaders dispersed crossed the immense bulk of Mexico’s 32 states, helium said, and authorities person identified the 4 “strongest” figures wrong the organization. Two of those 4 are considered astir apt to assertion the apical position. García Harfuch declined to sanction immoderate of them publicly, saying lone that each 4 are “under investigation.”

Media reports person nevertheless filled successful immoderate of the blanks. Oseguera’s stepson, Juan Carlos Valencia González — a 41-year-old California autochthonal known arsenic “R3” — is wide considered a starring contender. Others named successful property reports see Hugo Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytán (“El Sapo,” The Toad); Audias Flores Silva (“El Jardinero,” The Gardener); Ricardo Ruiz Velasco (“El Doble R”); and Heraclio Guerrero Martínez (“Tío Lako”), who reportedly mislaid a lad during the Tapalpa cognition itself. The cartel helium is vying to pb has an progressive beingness successful 28 of Mexico’s 32 states, making the stakes of the succession combat exceptionally high.

Security analysts pass that the enactment vacuum carries superior risks. Unlike the Sinaloa Cartel, which has a much diffuse enactment structure, the CJNG was built astir El Mencho’s singular authority. A powerfulness conflict among determination bosses could trigger fragmentation, intensified territorial battles with rival groups and a caller spike successful unit successful halfway CJNG territories. Whether the cartel holds unneurotic oregon splinters — and however accelerated — volition beryllium 1 of the defining information stories of the months ahead.

Mexico News Daily

This communicative contains summaries of archetypal Mexico News Daily articles. The summaries were generated by Claude, past revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily unit editor.