Mexico City, 23 Feb 

The Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, 'El Mencho,' on Sunday, decapitating what had become Mexico's most powerful cartel and giving the government its biggest prize yet to show the Trump administration its efforts.

Oseguera Cervantes was wounded in an operation to capture him on Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco, about a two-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara, and he died while being flown to Mexico City, the Defense Department said in a statement. The state is the base of the cartel known for trafficking huge quantities of fentanyl and other drugs to the United States.

During the operation, troops came under fire and killed four people at the location. Three more people, including Oseguera Cervantes, were wounded and later died, the statement said. Two others were arrested, and armoured vehicles, rocket launchers, and other arms were seized. Three members of the armed forces were wounded and are receiving medical treatment.

The US Embassy in Mexico said on X that the operation was carried out by Mexican special forces “within the framework of bilateral cooperation, with US authorities providing complementary intelligence.”

The killing of the powerful drug lord set off several hours of roadblocks with burning vehicles in Jalisco and other states. The cartels commonly use such tactics to block military operations. Jalisco canceled school in the state for Monday.

Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing over the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, and people sprinting through the airport of the state's capital in panic. On Sunday afternoon, Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to Puerto Vallarta “due to an ongoing security situation” and advised customers not to go to their airport.

In Guadalajara, the state capital, burning vehicles blocked roads. Mexico's second-largest city is scheduled to host matches during this summer's soccer World Cup.

The US State Department warned US citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero, and Nuevo Leon states to remain in safe places due to the ongoing security operations. Canada's embassy in Mexico warned its citizens in Puerto Vallarta to shelter in place and generally to keep a low profile in Jalisco.

Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus told residents to stay at home and suspended public transportation.

US had offered up to USD 15 million for his capture

The US State Department had offered a reward of up to USD 15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG, is one of the most powerful and fastest-growing criminal organizations in Mexico and was born in 2009.

In February, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, like her predecessor, has criticized the “kingpin” strategy of previous administrations that took out cartel leaders only to trigger explosions of violence as cartels fractured. While she has remained popular in Mexico, security is a persistent concern, and since US President Donald Trump took office a year ago, she has been under tremendous pressure to show results against drug trafficking.

On Sunday, Sheinbaum applauded Mexican security forces and called for calm in a post on X.

A Jalisco state official who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly said that a member of the National Guard died in Tapalpa during the operation, a jail guard was killed at a lockup in Puerto Vallarta when prisoners rioted, and an agent from the Jalisco state prosecutor's office was killed in Guadalajara. Details were not immediately available.