The White House confirmed on Sunday, February 22, 2026, that the United States provided critical intelligence support to Mexican authorities in a high-stakes military operation that resulted in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the long-elusive leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) widely known as "El Mencho." The announcement underscores deepening bilateral cooperation on transnational organized crime, particularly fentanyl trafficking, amid ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to dismantle major drug cartels operating along the US-Mexico border.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt made the confirmation in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating: "The United States provided intelligence support to the Mexican government in order to assist with an operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, in which Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, an infamous drug lord and leader within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was eliminated." Leavitt described El Mencho as a "top target" for both nations, highlighting his role as one of the primary architects of fentanyl smuggling into the United States, a synthetic opioid responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually.
She emphasized that President Donald Trump had formally designated the CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization in 2025, a move that expanded legal authorities for targeting its financial networks, assets, and leadership. Leavitt commended the Mexican military for its "cooperation and successful execution of the operation," noting that in addition to El Mencho's elimination, three other cartel members were killed, three were severely wounded (and later died during medical evacuation), and two were arrested. Mexican forces also seized armored vehicles, firearms, and rocket-propelled grenades capable of threatening aircraft.
The US confirmation followed an earlier statement from Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who previously served as US Ambassador to Mexico during the first Trump administration. Landau described the operation as a "great development" for Mexico, the United States, and the broader Latin American region, signaling strong diplomatic backing for Mexico's security efforts under President Claudia Sheinbaum.
The raid took place early Sunday in Tapalpa, a rural municipality in Jalisco state long considered a CJNG stronghold and safe haven for its leadership. Mexico's Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) reported that Special Forces units came under heavy fire during the attempt to apprehend Oseguera Cervantes. In response, troops engaged in self-defense, neutralizing the immediate threat and inflicting the reported casualties. Forensic teams are conducting DNA and other identification procedures to officially confirm El Mencho's death, though both Mexican and US officials expressed high confidence based on intelligence and operational details.
El Mencho, aged 59, had been one of the world's most wanted fugitives for more than a decade. A former Michoacán police officer turned trafficker, he co-founded the CJNG around 2010 after breaking away from other groups. Under his command, the cartel grew into Mexico's most powerful and violent criminal enterprise, controlling vast methamphetamine and fentanyl production networks, dominating ports like Manzanillo for precursor chemical imports from China, and engaging in extortion, fuel theft, and brutal territorial conflicts. The US had offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture or death, and he faced multiple indictments in American courts for drug trafficking, money laundering, and murder conspiracies.
The operation's success triggered an immediate and ferocious backlash from CJNG cells and affiliates. Within hours, coordinated retaliatory actions erupted across at least 20 Mexican states, including Jalisco, Michoacán, Colima, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Tamaulipas, and others where the cartel maintains influence. Cartel gunmen erected hundreds of road blockades using burning vehicles, buses, and trucks; set fire to businesses, gas stations, and public infrastructure; and clashed with security forces. Reports confirmed at least 25 National Guard members killed in ambushes in Jalisco, alongside dozens of civilian injuries and an undetermined number of cartel casualties. Air travel to key destinations such as Puerto Vallarta was disrupted, and trucking operations across western Mexico ground to a halt.
In response, President Sheinbaum addressed the nation via X, calling for calm and assuring citizens of unified federal-state coordination. "There is absolute coordination with the governments of all states; we must remain informed and calm," she wrote, adding that "activities are proceeding normally throughout most of the country." She acknowledged the Defense Ministry's reports of blockades and other disruptions but stressed that her administration works daily "for peace, security, justice, and the well-being of Mexico." Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro declared a red alert, suspended in-person classes statewide for Monday, and urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel.
The violent reaction highlights the challenges of the "kingpin strategy," in which decapitation strikes against cartel leaders often provoke short-term chaos as factions seek to assert control or avenge losses. Security experts warn that while El Mencho's death represents a major strategic victory, it could accelerate fragmentation within the CJNG or spark intensified competition among successors, including his brother or key lieutenants.
The US-Mexico partnership on this operation reflects renewed momentum under the Trump administration's aggressive stance against drug cartels, including tariff threats, border security demands, and terrorist designations. Sheinbaum's measured public response balances acknowledgment of the unrest with reassurance of stability, as both governments work to contain fallout and pursue follow-on operations against remaining CJNG leadership.
As forensic confirmation proceeds and violence subsides, the elimination of El Mencho stands as one of the most significant blows to Mexican organized crime in recent years, with implications for regional security, fentanyl flows, and bilateral relations in the months ahead.
