Mexico Engulfed in Gang Warfare, Americans at Risk

M.A. Dworkin

Mexico - Americans have been warned to Shelter in Place as deadly violence spread to at least 20 of Mexico’s 31 states in the wake of the death of the country’s most wanted man, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, 59, head of one of the most powerful and feared criminal organizations in Mexico, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho” died in custody Sunday, February 22, 2026, shortly after special forces captured him in Tapalpa, Jalisco state. 

The notorious drug kingpin was seriously injured in a firefight between military commandos and his bodyguards, of which eight were killed, in a Mexican military operation aided by U.S. intelligence support. Cervantes died from his injuries en route to Mexico City. The Trump Administration has been pushing its southern neighbor to take more aggressive action against cartels that traffic fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine.

Although the exact circumstances of El Mencho’s death remain unclear, Mexico’s Defence Minister Ricardo Trevilla Trejo said authorities ascertained vital information on El Mencho’s whereabouts after a visit by a romantic partner.

The Jalisco Group is a household name in Mexico, where it is infamous for its displays of ultraviolence and its massive weapon arsenal, which it has shown off in military parades. The Cartel, which was founded 16 years ago, has been accused of attempting to assassinate Mexican government officials.

Twenty-five members of the country’s National Guard were killed as Cartel members responded to his death by declaring war on the Mexican government of socialist Claudia Sheinbaum, shutting down Jalisco’s state capital, Guadalajara, the country’s second-largest city, as they engaged in numerous gun battles with Mexican authorities. Violence quickly spread throughout Mexico reaching up to the U.S. border with California. At least 30 people have been declared dead. 

El Mencho’s death sparked waves of violence throughout the cartel infested country as gang members commandeered buses and torched them in the middle of the road along with torching businesses, including dozens of banks and pharmacies, and erecting burning blockades while clashing with security forces. In some towns they blocked roads by throwing spikes and nails on the tarmac.

The Jalisco Governor, Pablo Lemus Navarro, urged the 8 million citizens of the state to stay at home and that public transport services were being suspended. 

The U.S. State Department and the U.S embassy in Mexico City urged American nationals to “seek shelter and remain in residences or hotels” in a number of areas around Mexico. A number of tourists were stranded after several U.S. carriers suspended flights to Puerto Vallarta. 

In Guadalajara, one of the host cities of the forthcoming Fifa World Cup, travelers at the airport could be seen running from the nearby attacks and crouching on the floor and behind counters in panic. Rumors that shots had been fired inside the terminal were dismissed by Mexican authorities. 

Video footage showed sun-bathing tourists on the beach in the popular resort town of Puerto Vallarta on the West Coast, known for its spectacular Pacific beaches, watching as huge clouds of smoke rose in  the skies above them. Flights into the city were suspended and international airlines cancelled dozens of trips. 

Mexican President Sheinbaum has called for calm and said that all roadblocks were being cleared on Monday.