What Is Happening In Mexico Right Now: Military Raid That Killed 'El Mencho' Triggers Revenge Attacks
What is happening in Mexico right now is a surge of retaliatory violence after federal forces fatally wounded Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, the long-time leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The operation, carried out on Sunday in Jalisco, set off a wave of attacks that has left security forces and civilians dead, emptied streets in major cities and disrupted travel across western Mexico.
What Is Happening In Mexico Right Now: Jalisco raid wounds Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes
Federal authorities attempted to capture Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes in the western state of Jalisco on Sunday; the operation led to a firefight that fatally wounded the 59-year-old cartel leader and killed six of his accomplices. Defence minister Ricardo Trevilla said the information that led to the raid and the death of the country’s most-wanted man came from a romantic partner.
Casualties and National Guard losses cited by Omar García Harfuch
Retaliatory attacks by cartel gunmen since the raid have killed 25 members of the National Guard and one security guard, Mexico’s security minister, Omar García Harfuch, said. He added that 30 cartel operatives were killed in the operations and that one bystander died in the violence. Streets were left empty as residents shielded themselves from the chaos.
Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the risk of power vacuums
El Mencho led the heavily armed Jalisco New Generation Cartel, an organisation described as the country’s most powerful criminal group. Analysts warn that previous efforts to kill or capture organised crime bosses have often produced eruptions of bloodshed and created dangerous power vacuums; David Mora, a Mexico analyst for the International Crisis Group, expects violence to spike, noting that El Mencho ran a highly centralised organisation without a clear direct heir, which could spark internal struggles or invite rival cartels to press for turf.
Disruption in Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara as residents shelter
In the country’s west, schools were closed and international travellers were left stranded after cartel foot soldiers blocked roads by torching cars and buses. Authorities in Puerto Vallarta advised the public to stay indoors as videos showed cars and buildings ablaze and tourists walking on the beach with smoke rising in the distance. In Guadalajara, the nation’s second-largest city and a scheduled host for the 2026 World Cup, streets were almost empty on Sunday as fearful residents stayed home.
Guadalajara zoo sheltering more than 1, 000 people, Luis Soto Rendón explains
More than 1, 000 people were held overnight inside Guadalajara’s zoo to shield them from the chaos outside, Luis Soto Rendón, the zoo’s director, said. He explained that officials decided to let people remain inside the facility for their safety and noted that those sheltered included small children and senior citizens.
Airports, roadblocks and the government’s response under Claudia Sheinbaum
Rumours spread that major airports had been shut after videos showed people running for cover in terminal halls. The government clarified that while some flights had been diverted, the airports in Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and Tepic were operating normally. President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm, and authorities said more than 250 cartel roadblocks across 20 states had been cleared. The ministry of foreign affairs issued a public reassurance that the rule of law prevails and that the federal government is working to ensure security and wellbeing.
What makes this notable is the immediate, nationwide ripple: a targeted operation in Jalisco led directly to lethal reprisals that affected transportation, schools and tourism in multiple coastal cities and interior urban centres. The timing matters because the clearance of over 250 roadblocks across 20 states demonstrates a rapid state response, yet officials acknowledge it is unclear whether the violence will continue.
For now, authorities remain on high alert, travel disruptions persist in affected areas and the prospect of further clashes—driven by both the CJNG’s internal dynamics and opportunistic moves by other criminal groups—remains a central concern for public safety and regional stability.
