2026 Mexico cartel unrest

The 2026 Mexico cartel unrest refers to a wave of violence, blockades, arson, and clashes across multiple Mexican states that erupted on 22 February 2026 after Mexican security forces killed Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during a military operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco.^[5] The unrest included road blockages, arson attacks and violent confrontations involving cartel operatives and security forces, leading to numerous arrests and casualties, disruptions to transportation and public services, and heightened security measures nationwide. Oseguara's right-man Hugo César Macías Ureña, or "El Tuli", was the leading figure behind the retaliations and offered rewards for each Mexican soldier killed. Security forces killed El Tuli while he worked to escape from his attempted arrest. 25 National Guard members and several other law enforcement officials were killed along with 32 cartel members in the violence, which were calmed by 23 February.

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as "El Mencho" was the head of CJNG after Ignacio Coronel Villarreal's killing in 2010. He became the most wanted person in Mexico and one of the most wanted in the United States at the time of his death. The U.S. government and the Mexican government were offering rewards of up to US$15 million and MXN$300 million, respectively, for information leading to his arrest. On 22 February 2026, Oseguera was seriously wounded during a Mexican military operation and died while being transported to Mexico City.

Following the security operation in Jalisco, members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) established numerous road blockades using hijacked cargo trucks, buses, and private vehicles set on fire to obstruct traffic.^[6][7] Authorities identified approximately 250 roadblocks nationwide, with incidents reported in Jalisco and 19 other states, including Michoacán, Guanajuato, Colima, Tamaulipas, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, and Sinaloa.^[8][9][10]

Vehicles, businesses, and gas stations were set on fire in Puerto Vallarta. More than 70 attacks were reported in 23 municipalities in Guanajuato, including 60 arson incidents.^[11] Fifty Banco del Bienestar branches and more than 200 Oxxo stores were damaged.^[12][13] In response to the violence, the Governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus Navarro issued a Code Red alert for the state.^[14]

Direct attacks against security forces were also reported. At approximately 2:45 p.m., a car bomb detonated in San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco, killing Captain Leonel Cardoso Gómez, coordinator of the National Guard’s Highway and Facilities Security Battalion based in Aguascalientes, and injuring several officers as they approached a suspicious vehicle.^[15] A separate vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near a National Guard installation, causing structural damage and injuring personnel.^[16] Milenio reported that federal authorities attributed these attacks to Hugo Gonzalo Gaytán, alias "El Sapo".^[17]

An armed group attacked a prison in Ixtapa, Jalisco, breaching the facility by ramming a vehicle into the main gate and opening fire, which triggered a riot inside.^[18] The attack facilitated the escape of 23 inmates, and one custodial officer was killed.^[19]

Federal authorities reported that approximately 90 percent of the roadblocks established the day before had been cleared, though isolated blockades and vehicle burnings continued to be recorded in parts of Jalisco, such as in the municipalities of Autlán and Cihuatlán.^[20] Authorities noted that some federal and state highways remained intermittently obstructed by debris and abandoned vehicles.^[20][21]

Bus and urban rail services in the Guadalajara metropolitan area were temporarily suspended following the outbreak of coordinated violence. State authorities halted the public transport network, including city bus routes, the Mi Macro Periférico and the Sistema de Tren Eléctrico Urbano lines, citing security risks after vehicles were set ablaze and major roads were blocked.^[22] Long-distance services departing from the Central de Autobuses del Norte in Mexico City cancelled departures to western states, including Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Aguascalientes, due to highway closures.^[23]

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), operator of Puerto Vallarta International Airport, reported that all international operations and the majority of domestic flights were cancelled following the outbreak of violence, with airlines citing security concerns and uncertainty regarding access routes to the airport. Airlines cancelling flights included Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Air Canada, WestJet, Porter Airlines, and Volaris.^{[24][25][26][27]} Airport authorities said that no violent incidents occurred inside the terminal itself and that the facilities remained under the protection of federal security forces.^[28] GAP also reported that Guadalajara International Airport was operating normally without flight cancellations or security incidents, and passengers were advised to monitor transportation conditions and stay in close contact with their airlines, as highway blockades and violence affected access routes to the airports.^[28]

The Embassy of the United States, Mexico City, sent out a security alert telling United States citizens in multiple states to shelter in place.^[29] The foreign ministries of Australia,^[30] New Zealand,^[31] France,^[32] the United Kingdom,^[33] Canada,^[34] and Indonesia^[35] issued similar alerts.

The U.S. State Department set up a 24/7 crisis hotline on 22 February to support US citizens impacted by the unrest in Mexico. The hotline fielded hundreds of calls after several US carriers suspended flights to Puerto Vallarta.^[36]

More than 1,000 visitors were stranded overnight at the Guadalajara Zoo.^[1]

Twenty-five members of the National Guard were killed in six separate attacks in Jalisco following the operation,^[1] among them Captain Leonel Cardoso Gómez, who was assassinated by a car bomb.^[37] Around 30 cartel members were killed in Jalisco and four in Michoacán.^[1] Twenty-five people were arrested during the clashes; 11 were detained for participating in violent acts and 14 for looting.

Hugo César Macías Ureña, alias "El Tuli", considered to have been Oseguera’s right-hand man in Jalisco, was identified by security forces as responsible for coordinating the cartel’s retaliatory violence.^[38][39] He reportedly offered up to MX$20,000 for each soldier killed.^[40] Security forces, including an aeromobile unit of the Brigada de Fusileros Paracaidistas, attempted to apprehend him at El Grullo, Jalisco.^[41][42] He attempted to flee in a vehicle and opened fire on military personnel; security forces returned fire, and Macías Ureña was fatally shot.^[38]

At least three other people were killed in the clashes, including an agent of the Jalisco state prosecutor's office, a jail guard, and a civilian woman who has not been publicly identified.^[1]

During the retaliatory attacks, a substantial wave of disinformation spread across social media. According to experts interviewed by Reuters and the Associated Press, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and affiliated online networks were responsible for circulating disinformation that exaggerated the scale of the violence.^[43][44] Widely shared false claims included reports that the Guadalajara International Airport was "taken over by assassins", that "[s]moke was billowing from a church and multiple buildings in the city of Puerto Vallarta", and that tourists had been taken hostage. Other viral posts alleged that President Claudia Sheinbaum had been evacuated to a naval vessel, claimed without evidence that Oseguera was still alive or had been killed for political reasons, or asserted that United States agents had been directly involved in the operation.^[45][46][47]

A report by the Digital Media Observatory at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education found that hundreds of false or unverified posts circulated in the two days following Oseguera’s death, many amplified by bots and AI-generated content without context or verification. According to the data, 35-40% of the posts lacked context, at 25% were misleading, and 25% were manipulated using artificial intelligence or entirely fabricated.^[45] Some misleading posts were also amplified by accounts in the United States and high-reach social media profiles on platforms like X.^[46]

Experts interviewed by Reuters said the messaging appeared aimed at projecting an image that the Mexican government had lost control. One analyst stated that while the operation represented a tactical success for security forces, organized crime groups and their online allies were able to shift public attention "away from the (military raid) to chaos," contributing to public confusion and fear.^[43]

• Battle of Culiacán – Failed attempt in 2019 to capture Ovidio Guzmán López that resulted in six civilian and Mexican military deaths
• 2023 Sinaloa unrest – Wave of violent incidents and road blockades in Sinaloa triggered by the successful arrest of Ovidio Guzmán López of the Sinaloa Cartel