Mexican security forces killed one of the country’s most powerful drug traffickers in a military operation in western Mexico, prompting coordinated reprisals across several states and bringing parts of a major World Cup host city to a halt.
The Secretariat of National Defence said Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho,” was wounded during a confrontation with soldiers in the town of Tapalpa in Jalisco state on Sunday and died while being transported to Mexico City. The United States had offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture.
Authorities said the raid targeted the leadership of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, an organisation Washington considers among the principal suppliers of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl entering the United States.
The operation relied in part on intelligence shared by U.S. agencies.
In the hours after the clash, gunmen mounted a coordinated response across multiple regions. Vehicles were set ablaze and highways blocked in at least six states, including Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan, Nayarit, Guanajuato and Tamaulipas. In Guadalajara, a city scheduled to host matches during the upcoming FIFA World Cup, streets emptied as residents remained indoors.
Videos circulated online showed passengers running through Guadalajara’s airport, while plumes of smoke rose over the coastal tourist hub of Puerto Vallarta. Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus urged residents to stay at home and suspended public transport services. Classes were cancelled in several areas on Monday.
President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the armed forces and appealed for calm, saying federal and state authorities were coordinating security operations nationwide and that daily activities continued normally in most parts of the country.
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Military officials reported that four cartel members were killed during the raid and two others died during transfer to Mexico City.
Two suspects were arrested and security forces seized armoured vehicles, rocket launchers and other weapons. Three soldiers were wounded and are receiving treatment.
The killing marks one of the most significant blows to organised crime since the arrests of Sinaloa cartel figures Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and Ismael Zambada, both now in U.S. custody. Oseguera, 59, a former police officer who once worked as an avocado farmer, co founded the Jalisco cartel around 2007 and built it into a nationwide network.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau welcomed the outcome, describing Oseguera as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins” and calling the operation a major development for regional security.
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The United States and Canada issued travel advisories urging citizens in several Mexican states to shelter in place because of ongoing security operations and gun battles. Airlines including Air Canada, United Airlines and American Airlines cancelled flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, while Air Canada told passengers not to travel to the airport.
The operation comes amid pressure from Washington for Mexico to intensify action against drug trafficking networks. U.S. officials have warned about fentanyl flows across the border and have urged stronger enforcement efforts.
Security analysts say the cartel’s leadership structure now faces uncertainty. Oseguera’s brother and son are already imprisoned in the United States, leaving no clear successor.
Previous cartel leadership removals have led to internal conflicts as regional commanders compete for control, a pattern seen after the capture of Sinaloa cartel leaders.
Authorities are increasing deployments to contain violence and protect transportation corridors. Mexico’s military and federal police have established checkpoints and patrols in affected states while investigations continue and security forces attempt to prevent further retaliatory attacks.