Death toll rises after Mexican drug cartel leader killed in US-backed operation

The U.S. commended Mexican authorities for sidesplitting the person of 1 of the largest narco-terrorist cartels successful the state connected Sunday.

The U.S. provided quality enactment for a Mexican cognition that resulted successful the decease of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known arsenic "El Mencho," who was the person of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Cervantes was killed successful a shootout with Mexican forces wrong his location arsenic they attempted to transportation retired an cognition to seizure him.

The cartel reacted to its leader's decease with unit crossed Mexico, placing roadblocks and mounting vehicles connected occurrence passim Sunday. Mexican authorities said they had cleared astir of the roadblocks by precocious Sunday.

Guadalajara, the superior of Jalisco authorities and Mexico's second-largest city, was astir wholly unopen down connected Sunday arsenic fearful residents stayed home.

WHO IS EL MENCHO? INSIDE THE RISE OF CJNG’S FALLEN KINGPIN AND THE CARTEL HE BUILT

A worker stands defender by a charred conveyance aft it was acceptable connected fire, successful Cointzio, Michoacán state, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, pursuing the decease of the person of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Oseguera, known arsenic "El Mencho."  (AP Photo/Armando Solis)

Passengers arriving to the city's planetary airdrome Sunday nighttime were told it was operating with constricted unit due to the fact that of the burst of violence.

U.S. Amb. Ron Johnson recognized the occurrence of the Mexican equipped forces and their sacrifice successful a connection precocious Sunday. He added that "under the enactment of President Trump and President Sheinbaum, bilateral practice has reached unprecedented levels."

Cervantes, who was wounded successful the cognition to seizure him Sunday successful Tapalpa, Jalisco, astir a two-hour thrust southwest of Guadalajara, died portion being flown to Mexico City, according to the Defense Department.

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Smoke rises into the entity implicit Puerto Vallarta during an cognition targeting cartel enactment connected Feb. 22, 2026. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

During the operation, troops came nether occurrence and killed 4 radical astatine the location. Three much people, including Cervantes, were wounded and aboriginal died, the connection said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed connected X that the U.S. authorities provided quality enactment for the operation.

"‘El Mencho’ was a apical people for the Mexican and United States authorities arsenic 1 of the apical traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland," she wrote.

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The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 cardinal for accusation starring to the apprehension of El Mencho. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is 1 of the astir almighty and fastest increasing transgression organizations successful Mexico and began operating astir 2009.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.