Violence Grips Mexico as Powerful Drug Lord’s Death Sparks Retribution

A stark contrast unfolded in the picturesque town of Tapalpa, Mexico on Monday, just one day after Mexican military forces killed the country’s most powerful drug lord. While tourist shops remained open and some workers continued their routines, the sound of gunfire echoed through the streets, where a dead man lay beside a bullet-riddled vehicle.

Mexican security forces remain locked in battle with cartel gunmen following the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The killing triggered widespread violence that has put the entire country on edge, with cartel members blocking roads while smoke rose from the outskirts of the town in Jalisco state.

According to authorities, more than 70 people have died since the operation to capture Oseguera Cervantes began. The death toll includes security personnel, suspected cartel members, and civilians, though officials have provided few details about the circumstances surrounding most of these deaths.

Mexican Defense Secretary General Ricardo Trevilla revealed that authorities tracked one of Oseguera Cervantes’ romantic partners to his hideout in Tapalpa. The cartel leader and two bodyguards fled into a wooded area where they were seriously wounded in a firefight. They were taken into custody but died while being transported to Mexico City.

In a separate operation in Jalisco, soldiers killed another high-ranking cartel member who was reportedly coordinating violence and offering more than $1,000 for every soldier killed.

The human cost has been severe. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed that 25 members of the Mexican National Guard were killed in six separate attacks. Approximately 30 criminal suspects were killed in Jalisco, and four others in neighboring Michoacan state. A prison guard and an agent from the state prosecutor’s office were also among the dead.

The White House confirmed that the U.S. provided intelligence support for the operation to capture the cartel leader, who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries. The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Oseguera Cervantes’ arrest.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which began operating around 2009, has become one of Mexico’s fastest-growing criminal networks. It is known for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to the United States and has carried out brazen attacks against Mexican government officials. In February 2025, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization, noting its aggressive tactics against the military, including attacking helicopters and pioneering the use of explosives launched from drones.

The organization’s response to their leader’s death has been fierce and widespread, with members erecting more than 250 roadblocks across 20 Mexican states and setting vehicles ablaze.

As the threat of further violence looms, several Mexican states canceled school on Monday, while local and foreign governments warned citizens to shelter in place. The U.S. Embassy announced via social media that its personnel in eight cities and in Michoacan state would work remotely and shelter in place, advising U.S. citizens in many parts of Mexico to do the same.

In Guadalajara, the state capital, traffic was light on Monday morning—a notable change from Sunday when Mexico’s second-largest city was virtually shut down as fearful residents stayed home. More than 1,000 people spent the night trapped in the city’s zoo, sleeping in buses. Luis Soto Rendón, the zoo’s director, explained that many visitors had been unable to return home to nearby states like Zacatecas and Michoacan since violence erupted on Sunday morning.

“We decided to let people stay inside the zoo for their safety,” Soto said. “There are small children and senior citizens.”

American tourist Steve Perkins, 57, was visiting Puerto Vallarta with his wife when their return flight to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma was canceled. From their hotel terrace, they witnessed explosions, plumes of smoke, and heard gunfire and screams. “My wife called our kids to tell them goodbye if we were never gonna see them again,” Perkins told The Associated Press. “It was fairly unsettling.”

Mexico had hoped that eliminating one of the world’s biggest fentanyl traffickers would ease pressure from the Trump administration to take stronger action against cartels. U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that Mexico do more to fight fentanyl smuggling, threatening to impose tariffs or take unilateral military action if the country doesn’t show results.

As heavily armed Mexican security forces continue their operations, local resident Joel Ramírez summed up the mood of many when he said: “Everything seems calmer, but we were almost there and got stuck. We’re scared.”