Mexico City – Widespread violence swept across Mexico on Sunday after the death of notorious drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, triggering arson attacks, road blockades and panic in major cities and tourist centres.
Members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel launched coordinated reprisals in at least 20 states following news that their leader had died in custody shortly after being captured by Mexican special forces in the town of Tapalpa in Jalisco. Authorities said he had been seriously wounded during a firefight between his bodyguards and military commandos and died while being transported to Mexico City.
The defence ministry reported that at least six of his security guards were killed during the operation and three soldiers injured.
Retaliatory attacks began almost immediately. Cartel members torched buses, banks, pharmacies and other businesses, while blocking highways with burning vehicles, spikes and nails. Thick smoke rose above multiple towns, including the tourist resort of Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
In Guadalajara, panic broke out at the international airport, one of the gateways for visitors ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Travellers were seen running for cover after reports of gunfire on a nearby highway. Authorities later dismissed rumours that shots had been fired inside the terminal, though a burnt vehicle was found on the road outside.
Local governments in several areas ordered residents to remain indoors as deserted streets reflected the scale of the unrest.
The scenes recalled the violence in Sinaloa in 2019 after the capture of Ovidio Guzmán López, son of imprisoned drug boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. At that time, authorities released him to stop deadly clashes between cartel gunmen and security forces. He was later re arrested in 2023 and extradited to the United States, where he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges.
Foreign visitors were among those affected by the latest violence. Tourists in Puerto Vallarta were ordered to shelter indoors as burning vehicles sent black smoke across neighbourhoods. One visitor described the situation as looking “like a war zone”.
About 300 travellers were stranded at the city’s airport after flights were cancelled. They were escorted to the city centre in a convoy protected by heavily armed police.
Britain’s foreign office urged travellers to “exercise extreme caution” and follow local instructions, including orders to remain inside. Holidaymaker Sara Morales said she and her children had been asked to leave Las Glorias beach. “I was very afraid because I didn’t know what was happening,” she told Mexican newspaper El Economista.
The US State Department advised Americans to shelter in place in several regions, including Jalisco, Baja California, Quintana Roo and parts of Guanajuato, Guerrero, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.
Authorities in Jalisco declared a code red, suspending public transport, cancelling large gatherings and halting in person classes. Newspaper reports said more than 250 road blockades had been recorded across affected states, though security officials later stated that most had been cleared. At least 25 people were arrested, including suspects accused of participating in attacks and looting.
President Claudia Sheinbaum urged citizens to stay “calm and informed”, saying that in most parts of the country normal activities were continuing. She commended security forces for the operation that captured the cartel leader, amid pressure from Washington to intensify action against drug trafficking networks.
US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said El Mencho had been “a top target for the Mexican and United States government as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland”.
Mexico’s defence ministry said the raid was conducted by the army with support from the National Guard and Air Force, adding that “complementary information” from the United States aided the mission. Washington had previously offered a reward of 15 million dollars for information leading to his capture.
Former US Drug Enforcement Administration official Mike Vigil described the operation as “one of the most significant actions undertaken in the history of drug trafficking.”
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