The U.S. assisted Mexican forces in a Saturday operation in the Mexican state of Jalisco against notorious drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which led to his death, according to multiple sources.
“The United States provided intelligence support to the Mexican government in order to assist with an operation in Talpalpa, Jalisco, Mexico,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Sunday statement on X. She also expressed thanks to “the Mexican military for their cooperation” with the U.S. on the raid. El Mencho was well-known to U.S. authorities, who offered a $15 million reward in 2024 for information leading to his arrest.
President Donald Trump previously declared a de facto war on drug cartels last fall, calling them “non-state armed groups” who facilitate “an armed attack against the United States.”
“President Trump has been very clear,” Leavitt wrote. “The United States will ensure narcoterrorists sending deadly drugs to our homeland are forced to face the wrath of justice they have long deserved.”
A statement from Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense confirmed that “complementary information was provided by U.S. authorities within the framework of bilateral coordination and cooperation with the United States.” The secretariat also confirmed that seven other cartel members were killed alongside El Mencho, with three Mexican soldiers being wounded in the gunfight.
While the raid is being hailed as a success by both Mexican and U.S. authorities, cartel members across the country kicked off a wave of deadly violence in response to El Mencho’s killing.
Videos of burning cars, buildings set aflame, and chaos at airports have been shared widely on social media. Mexico Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said that 25 members of the National Guard were killed by retaliatory cartel attacks since the operation on Saturday. As many as 73 people have died in the initial operation, along with the resulting violence, according to the Associated Press.
🇲🇽 Vehicles torched and thick smoke across parts of Mexico after the CJNG cartel retaliated with roadblocks and coordinated attacks.
This comes right after reports that their leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (‘El Mencho’), was taken out in a federal operation.
Jalisco is… pic.twitter.com/PLo270u4lq
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 22, 2026
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, urged citizens to remain “informed and calm.”
“In most parts of the national territory, activities are taking place with full normality,” Sheinbaum said in a post on Facebook. “My appreciation to the Mexican Army, National Guard, Armed Forces, and Cabinet of Security.”
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Flights were suspended in cities severely affected by the violence, namely Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. The cancellations have left hundreds, possibly thousands of travelers stranded in the country. The Department of State Consular Affairs urged American travelers in the country to shelter in place “until further notice,” in a statement on X.
The Pentagon did not respond to Salon’s request for additional information and specifics about the raid and the situation for Americans in Jalisco.
