The physical elimination of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias « El Mencho, » the feared leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during a large-scale military operation on Sunday, February 22, 2026, plunged Mexico into an immediate spiral of violence.
This tactical victory for President Claudia Sheinbaum, achieved under constant pressure from Donald Trump who threatened unilateral military interventions to curb fentanyl trafficking, has transformed into an unprecedented security challenge for the government.
In retaliation for the death of their leader, CJNG cells erected more than 250 roadblocks across the country, setting fire to buses and trucks to paralyze major highways, particularly in the states of Jalisco, Michoacán, and Guanajuato.
In Guadalajara, one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the international airport was temporarily paralyzed, and four professional football matches had to be urgently postponed this weekend, illustrating the fragility of a region expected to welcome tens of thousands of fans in just four months.
Faced with the escalating violence, the government has deployed 10,000 additional troops to regain control of urban and tourist areas, such as Puerto Vallarta, where quarantine orders have been issued for foreign nationals.
As the US and Canadian embassies increase their travel warnings, uncertainty now hangs over Mexico’s ability to guarantee complete security for the World Cup, as the country finds itself at a crossroads between a tense democratic transition and the risk of a bloody power vacuum within its decapitated criminal structures.