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Cartel violence that erupted across Mexico left 25 Mexican National Guard troops and more than two dozen criminal suspects among the dead following the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, officials said Monday.
Mexico Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said the troops in Jalisco were killed in six separate attacks following the killing of Oseguera Cervantes during a shootout inside his home as the Mexican military attempted to capture him. He also said some 30 criminal suspects were killed in Jalisco and four others were killed in Michoacan.
García Harfuch added that a prison guard, an agent from the state prosecutor’s office and a woman whom he did not identify were also killed.
The U.S. provided intelligence support for the Mexican operation that resulted in the death of the cartel leader, who was known as “El Mencho.”
DEATH TOLL RISES AFTER MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL LEADER KILLED IN US-BACKED OPERATION
Mexican Security and Citizen Protection Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch speaks as President Claudia Sheinbaum looks on during her daily, morning news conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, the day after the Mexican army killed Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho.” (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)
Mexican Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla said Monday that intelligence leading to the military operation came from a romantic partner of the crime boss, Reuters reported.
A soldier stands guard by a charred vehicle after it was set on fire in Cointzio, Michoacán state, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, after the death of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.” (AP Photo/Armando Solis)
The cartel reacted to its leader’s death with violence across Mexico, placing roadblocks and setting vehicles on fire throughout Sunday.
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President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm Monday, and authorities said all of the more than 250 cartel roadblocks across 20 states had been cleared.
The U.S. State Department said that its personnel in cities across Mexico would shelter in place Monday, urging U.S. citizens in many parts of Mexico to do the same.
Oseguera Cervantes was the leader of one of the largest narco-terrorist cartels in the country.
“El Mencho” was killed during a shootout as the Mexican military attempted to capture him in an operation in Jalisco on Sunday, Feb. 22., 2026. (Drug Enforcement Administration)
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The criminal network was notorious for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the United States, and staging brazen attacks against government officials who challenged it.
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom and The Associated Press contributed to this report.