Mexican military kills cartel kingpin 'El Mencho'

Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Mexico on Sunday said that it killed "El Mencho," the leader of Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in an operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, a Mexican state known for trafficking fentanyl and other drugs in the United States.

JNGC leader Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, who is also known as "El Mencho," died while being transported to a hospital in Mexico City after the operation, which resulted in the death of three other cartel members, The Washington Post and The New York Times reported.

The news came after road blocks, explosions and violence were reported in Tapalpa and Guadalajara, among other locations in western coastal Mexican state of Jalisco, Fox News and El Financiero reported.

As violence spread to more areas and more roads were blocked, Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus Navarro said in a post on X that he instructed security forces to activate the "red code in order to prevent acts against the population."

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He recommended that people stay in their homes and off roads -- and suspended public transportation -- as blockades and "violent incidents" spread to other parts of the country after the operation to arrest Cervantes.

"Federal forces carried out an operation in Tapalpa a few hours ago, which has led to clashes in the area," Navarro said. "As a result of said Operation, in various points of that region and in other parts of Jalisco, individuals have burned and blocked vehicles with the aim of hindering the actions of the authorities."

After Cervantes and three others were killed or arrested -- rocket launchers, weapons and vehicles were also confiscated -- members of the cartel turned to oft-used methods of interfering with law enforcement actions against it, including roadblocks and setting fires.

The cartel also has been known to employ helicopters, drones, mines and grenades against military forces.

Cervantes, who had build up JNGC over more than a decade, has been indicted numerous times by the U.S. government for drug trafficking and other allegations.

He also served three years in prison in the early 1990's after a conviction for conspiracy to distribute heroin, but rejoined the drug trafficking game after he was released from jail.

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Team USA poses with their medals for a group photo after winning the men's hockey gold medal game between the USA and Canada at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, on February 22, 2026. USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime. Canada takes home the silver and Slovakia won bronze. Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo