Whats Happening in Mexico

On February 22nd the Mexican government announced that they had carried out an operation that resulted in the death of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes. El Mencho was a notorious drug kingpin, the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG. The result was a chaotic rampage of retaliatory crime and destruction, particularly in Mexico’s western and central states. 

The Mexican government indicated that the operation was aimed at capturing El Mencho, but a shootout resulted in his death and that of at least six other cartel members. The government has stated that the operation was carried out with assistance of U.S intelligence. The operation also seized illegal weaponry, including heavy arms capable of destroying helicopters and armoured vehicles. 

The CJNG response was almost immediate. Retaliatory violence is a common strategy cartels use to dissuade the government from interfering with them, and to keep the people in line through fear. Retaliation is not only a warning to the government, it can serve as a show of force to other cartels. A statement, saying, even with our leader gone, we are powerful, unified, and capable of defending ourselves, even from the state. 

Retaliation for El Mencho’s killing took the form of an open “declaration of war” from the cartel. More than 250 roadblocks were set up to disrupt the movement of goods and terrify the populace. Property, such as cars and buses were destroyed along with some businesses and hotels. There have been reports of retaliatory killings and kidnappings. A major feature in international news was the disruptions of the airports in Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. Several exchanges were made between the authorities and cartel troops, the death toll is unclear. 

This type of retaliation is standard practice when responding to the death or capture of a cartel leader, but the scale of this response is rare. Most of the action took place in the central territory of the CJNG, but more than twenty states were reportedly affected, demonstrating the size and power of this cartel. Jalisco itself is the seat of CJNG power, that state includes the popular tourist destinations of Sayulita and Puerto Vallarta, as well as Mexico's second largest city, Guadalajara, a host city in the upcoming FIFA world cup. 

The scale of the destruction in this past week is testimony to the power of Mexican cartels, especially the wideranging CJNG. When considering why such a violent and anti-social organization was able to amass such power, one must consider the relationship between the cartel and the state. While official government policy is strongly aimed at dismantling the cartels and their operations, and clearly operations are being undertaken to do so, individual  actors of the state may not be so unified in their will to do away with the cartel. Mexican cartels have a variety of tools at their disposal to influence the state and protect themselves. The cartel can use their immense wealth and power to bribe, threaten, and coerce elected officials and members of the judiciary. Through these means they are often able to influence policy, legislation, and court rulings in their favour. 

High level officials have been assassinated or threatened in recent years by the cartels, for refusing to accept bribes or look the other way. Beyond personally threatening or bribing public officials, the threat cartels pose to public order and security incentives the government to leave them be, as can be seen with the results of this week's operation. In certain parts of Mexico, cartels create more economic activity and security than the state, and are therefore viewed in a more positive light. They can capitalize on this popularity by influencing the votes of their workers or people under their protection. Police corruption has also come under scrutiny recently, with many officers accepting bribes to turn a blind eye, give information, or even perform tasks for the cartels. 

It cannot be said that the Mexican state is wholly corrupt. Corrupt individuals are the minority, and the efforts of the government to combat cartels in recent years is definitely a positive move. Especially admirable are the public officials who condemn cartels openly and often, and the men and women of the police and armed forces who put their lives on the line to fight such a dangerous and cruel adversary. Hopefully the efforts of these individuals are continued and successful, firstly in the purging of corruption and fear in the state, and eventually in the defeat of these criminal organizations and the terrible trades they participate in. 

For now, all we can hope for is the safety of people in Mexico, and for peace and stability to prevail throughout the country and wider region. 

Sources:

Grant, Will. “Threat of Further Violence Looms after Mexican Cartel Rampage.” BBC News, February 25, 2026. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgml2djwwvno.

Holmes, Oliver, Lucy Swan, Harvey Symons, and Laure Boulinier. “Violence in Mexico after Military Kills Notorious Drug Cartel Boss – a Visual Guide.” The Guardian, February 23, 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/23/violence-erupts-mexico-military-kills-drug-cartel-boss-el-mencho-visual-guide.

InSight Crime. “Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG).” InSight Crime, February 25, 2026. https://insightcrime.org/mexico-organized-crime-news/jalisco-cartel-new-generation/.

Ziemer, Henry, and Ryan C. Berg. “Criminal Kingpin ‘El Mencho’ Is Dead, What Comes Next?” CSIS, February 26, 2026. https://www.csis.org/analysis/criminal-kingpin-el-mencho-dead-what-comes-next#:~:text=On%20Sunday%2C%20February%2022%2C%20Mexico’s,originally%20aimed%20at%20capturing%20him.