Mexico Cartel Leader Death
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum looks at a slide with information about Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho," during her the daily, morning news conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, the day after the Mexican army killed the cartel leader.
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The Mexican army killed the country’s most powerful cartel leader and one of the United States’ most wanted fugitives, notching a major victory. The killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes during an attempt to capture him in Jalisco state on Sunday was the highest-profile blow against cartels since the recapture of former Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán a decade ago. Cartel gunmen responded with violence across the country. Many locked themselves in their homes in fear. The Trump administration has been threatening tariffs or unilateral military action if Mexico does not show results in the fight against the cartels.
