Troops reinforce Puerto Vallarta as unrest shows signs of easing following El Mencho’s death

Mexico’s Navy and equipped forces person reinforced information crossed Jalisco pursuing the sidesplitting of Jalisco New Generation Cartel person Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known arsenic "El Mencho," successful an cognition that triggered retaliatory unit and raised concerns astir prolonged instability.

In a Feb. 24 property release, Mexico’s Secretariat of the Navy said 103 Marines and tactical vehicles arrived successful Puerto Vallarta aboard the naval vas ARM "Usumacinta" (A-412) to reenforce surveillance and information operations aft attacks targeting businesses and spot successful respective neighborhoods.

Naval authorities said further unit supported by boats, craft and crushed vehicles were deployed to behaviour maritime, aerial and onshore patrols to assistance reconstruct order.

A worker clears a roadblock connected a roadworthy starring to Tapalpa, Mexico, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, a time aft the Mexican service killed Jalisco New Generation Cartel person Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known arsenic "El Mencho."  (Marco Ugarte/AP Photo)

The naval reinforcement came arsenic national authorities sent astir 2,000 further soldiers to Jalisco pursuing the cartel leader’s death, Reuters reported.

The cognition targeting El Mencho, agelong considered 1 of Mexico’s astir almighty cause traffickers and caput of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, sparked contiguous retaliation from cartel members, including roadblocks, conveyance burnings and clashes crossed aggregate states, AP reported.

Mexican officials person framed the sidesplitting arsenic a large stroke to organized crime. But analysts caution that removing a cartel person does not needfully construe into lasting stability.

David Mora, an expert astatine the International Crisis Group, stated that "federal authorities announced that they are reinforcing unit deployments to incorporate the cartel’s backlash, which whitethorn beryllium protracted."

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The State Department declared El Mencho deceased connected Tuesday. (State Department)

Mora added that "El Mencho near nary wide heir, and the remaining leaders could quality control," and warned that the cartel’s ongoing turf wars with smaller groups, particularly successful Guanajuato and Michoacán, could intensify arsenic rivals question advantage.

While the sidesplitting delivered President Claudia Sheinbaum "a triumph with Washington," Mora said, "it is acold from wide the sidesplitting volition assistance the president’s eventual extremity of pacifying Mexico."

Duncan Wood, a visiting chap for North America astatine the Wilson Center, described the cognition arsenic a objection of authorities authorization but warned the aftermath whitethorn hinge connected the cartel’s structure.

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Mexican navy marines defender the country wherever caller clandestine wide graves were recovered adjacent the municipality of La Joya, connected the ouskisrts of Iguala, Mexico, Thursday Oct. 9, 2014.  ((AP Photo/Felix Marquez))

"The removal of El Mencho represents a meaningful assertion of Mexican authorities authorization against 1 of the country’s astir convulsive transgression organizations. The chaos that followed was real, but temporary," Wood said.

"In the mean term, the absorption shifts to the resilience of the CJNG’s decentralized cells and the Mexican government's capableness to prolong a broad information strategy."

In a connection posted Feb. 24 connected X, the Embassy of Mexico successful the United States said transit corridors were reopening and nationalist services were being restored, hose operations were returning to mean and Puerto Vallarta International Airport had reopened to home traffic.

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Members of the National Guard basal defender extracurricular the facilities of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO) successful Mexico City, Mexico connected Feb. 22, 2026. The information beingness extracurricular the FEMDO facilities follows an cognition earlier successful the time successful which cartel person Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known arsenic 'El Mencho' was killed during a subject cognition successful Tapalpa, successful the authorities of Jalisco, authorities confirmed.  (Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu via Getty Image)

The embassy said immoderate section information measures stay successful spot and that authorities are moving with planetary partners to guarantee information astatine transit hubs and tourer destinations.

Whether the surge of troops and naval forces volition forestall a broader escalation remains uncertain arsenic authorities brace for imaginable powerfulness struggles wrong the cartel and continued clashes with rival groups.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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