Mexico descended into widespread chaos and violence following the confirmed death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the formidable leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in a military raid. The operation, which resulted in Oseguera’s fatal wounding during a shootout in Tapalpa, Jalisco state, triggered an immediate and ferocious response from the cartel’s ranks, plunging cities across the nation into scenes resembling a war zone.
The stark socioeconomic divide within the country was laid bare as luxury tourist destinations, typically insulated from such violence, became unexpected battlegrounds. The Pacific coast resort of Puerto Vallarta, a popular enclave for American retirees and tourists, witnessed intense carnage. Vehicles and buildings were set ablaze, shrouding the city in thick black smoke, with the destruction captured on video from the balconies of upscale condominiums and beachfronts. Social media circulated contrasting imagery of tourists observing the turmoil from pools and beach chairs, cocktail in hand.
This offensive marks the most significant action to date by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who had previously pledged a historic crackdown on drug cartels. The operation was conducted with crucial intelligence support from the United States, which had listed ‘El Mencho’ as its most-wanted drug trafficker with a $15 million bounty. Despite this major victory, U.S. political pressure persists, with calls for Mexico to intensify its efforts.
The death of Oseguera, 59, represents the fall of a figure who operated with brazen impunity. His cartel, known for its militarized ‘elite’ divisions equipped with armored vehicles and heavy weaponry, was responsible for audacious attacks, including the downing of a military helicopter and a high-profile assassination attempt on Mexico City’s then-police chief. Having emigrated to the U.S. in his youth, where he was jailed and deported for heroin trafficking, Oseguera rose through cartel infighting, eventually founding the CJNG, which grew to surpass even the Sinaloa cartel in power and territorial control.
By Monday, President Sheinbaum announced that the most severe violence had subsided and that active roadblocks had been cleared. However, the event underscores the profound and enduring challenge that powerful cartels continue to pose to the Mexican state, controlling vast territories and providing parallel governance in impoverished areas neglected by the central government.