Online disinformation fueled panic after the killing of Mexico’s most powerful drug lord

In the aftermath of Mexico’s most powerful drug lord’s death, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel unleashed a wave of violence across the country, accompanied by an unprecedented surge of disinformation that spread fear among citizens.

When Mexican armed forces killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” on Sunday, the cartel responded with widespread retaliatory attacks spanning approximately 20 states. The violence claimed more than 70 lives, but amid the genuine chaos, social media platforms became flooded with fabricated content designed to amplify public panic.

“We didn’t know what was true and what was false,” said Victoria Elizabeth Peceril, a 31-year-old mother of three in Guadalajara. “We were really scared.”

Mexican government officials reported between 200 and 500 problematic posts circulating since the military operation, with as many as 30 garnering over 100,000 views each. During President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Wednesday press briefing, officials presented data compiled by Tecnologico de Monterrey showing that 35-40% of these posts lacked proper context, at least 25% contained misleading information, and nearly 25% were either AI-generated or completely fabricated.

Among the false claims were reports that gunmen had seized Guadalajara’s international airport and taken tourists hostage, accompanied by AI-generated images of burning commercial aircraft. Other fabricated posts claimed a U.S. agent had strangled Oseguera Cervantes, that President Sheinbaum was hiding on a naval vessel off Mexico’s Pacific coast, or attempted to link the drug lord’s death to former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

“There was a lot of badly intentioned news Sunday, looking to generate terror,” President Sheinbaum stated.

The Jalisco cartel has built its reputation on spectacular displays of violence, including shooting down a military helicopter and attempting to assassinate Mexico City’s police chief. This history of dramatic violence made the exaggerated social media claims more believable to a frightened public.

Many Mexicans rely heavily on messaging apps and platforms like X (formerly Twitter) for real-time information about dangerous situations in their communities. In northern border cities frequently affected by cartel activity, these informal communication networks often function like traffic alerts, warning drivers about criminal convoys to avoid.

Nicolás Martín, a 28-year-old Mexico City resident who was staying near Puerto Vallarta when the violence erupted, said, “At first, we believed everything.” He noted the surprising production quality of some early posts, including what appeared to be drone footage showing explosions and fires in Puerto Vallarta. The professional quality made him question their authenticity, as genuine footage from chaotic situations would likely be less steady.

Vanda Felbab-Brown, an organized crime expert at the Brookings Institution, suggests the Jalisco cartel itself may have been behind some of the disinformation campaign. The group has invested significantly in developing its online presence compared to other Mexican criminal organizations.

“The criminals are becoming very tech-savvy,” Felbab-Brown explained. “It was impressive to see the level of misinformation,” she added, describing the sophisticated AI-generated posts as likely controlled by Jalisco Nueva Generación operatives. These efforts “certainly added to the aura of chaos and meltdown in Mexico.”

Despite efforts by Mexican authorities and the U.S. Embassy to counter false information, distinguishing fact from fiction proved challenging. Sarai Olguín, a 22-year-old college student in Guadalajara, received numerous videos and photos from friends as residents sheltered in their homes.

Ironically, the widespread disinformation may have had one positive effect. “In a way it’s good, because all of this false news helped take care of people even though they sowed immense fear,” Olguín reflected, noting that alarming posts warning of violence against civilians after certain hours likely kept people safely indoors.

The incident highlights the evolving tactics of organized crime groups and the growing challenge of information verification during security crises in Mexico, where traditional and social media increasingly blur as sources of critical public safety information.