Mexican Cartel Floods Social Media with Propaganda Following Drug Lord’s Death

After Mexican forces killed the country’s most wanted cartel leader on Sunday, false accounts of spectacular violence swept across social media, fuelled by what researchers believe is a coordinated propaganda campaign by organized crime groups.

Unrest did indeed erupt in many parts of Mexico as loyalists to Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), set up roadblocks, torched buses and stores, and attacked petrol stations in retaliation for his death.

But on social media platforms, the situation appeared far more catastrophic than reality. False reports claimed assassins had taken over Guadalajara’s airport, a plane was burning on the runway, and smoke billowed from a church and multiple buildings in the tourist hotspot of Puerto Vallarta. These fabricated images were shared tens of thousands of times despite being debunked.

“They are trying to show that the Mexican government doesn’t have control over the country,” explained Jane Esberg, assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who has studied how Mexican criminal groups utilize social media. She noted this strategy helps create a narrative that the cartel maintains nationwide presence while making it difficult for authorities and the public to assess the true scale of the violence.

Mexican security secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch confirmed on Monday that authorities had already identified “various accounts” spreading misinformation and pledged a deeper investigation to determine which have “direct relationships with an organised crime group.” He acknowledged there are other accounts “dedicated to spreading lies” without established criminal connections.

President Claudia Sheinbaum also addressed the issue, stating authorities are working quickly to refute the “many, many fake news stories” circulating following El Mencho’s death.

The CJNG has emerged as one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent criminal organizations in recent years, controlling territory across multiple states and engaging in drug trafficking, extortion, and other criminal activities. El Mencho’s death represents a significant blow to the organization, though security analysts warn it could potentially trigger succession battles and further violence.

Mexican cartels have long employed social media for propaganda purposes, from discrediting rivals to publicizing their community efforts, such as distributing aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally, criminal groups relied on recycled cartel videos or violent imagery from unrelated conflicts around the world to spread their messages.

However, the emergence of artificial intelligence tools has revolutionized cartel propaganda capabilities, enabling them to produce more sophisticated and convincing fake news. Simultaneously, the rise of “narco influencers” – social media personalities who have built large followings glorifying organized crime – has created additional channels for cartel messaging.

These misinformation campaigns pose particular challenges in Mexico, where violence makes it difficult for journalists to access certain regions to verify information firsthand. The security situation often prevents reporters from safely investigating claims on the ground, allowing false narratives to spread unchallenged.

“Sunday was a good day for Mexican security forces,” noted Pablo Calderon, an associate professor in politics and international relations at Northeastern University London. “But organised crime has been successful in shifting the narrative away from the [military raid] to chaos.”

Security experts point out that this information warfare reflects the evolving tactics of criminal organizations in Mexico. Beyond physical violence, cartels increasingly recognize the strategic importance of controlling narratives and public perception. By exaggerating their retaliatory capabilities, they aim to project power, intimidate the public, and undermine confidence in government institutions.

The wave of misinformation following El Mencho’s death illustrates how Mexico’s security challenges extend beyond conventional law enforcement into the digital realm, where the battle for truth has become another front in the country’s complex fight against organized crime.