At Least 25 Soldiers Killed After Raid on Mexico’s Most Wanted Cartel Leader, Official Says

At least 25 members of the Mexican National Guard were killed in Jalisco in six attacks after the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the country’s top security official said on Feb. 23.

Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed the death toll in a news conference along with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on the morning of Feb. 23, responding to cartel violence that erupted after Oseguera Cervantes was killed in a Feb. 22 operation carried out by the Mexican government.

Also killed were a prison guard, an agent from the state prosecutor’s office, and a woman who was not identified, García Harfuch said. He also said that some 30 criminal suspects were killed in the state of Jalisco and four others in the state of Michoacan.

El Mencho’s death triggered “27 cowardly attacks against authorities in Jalisco,” Harfuch said at the president’s daily press conference on Feb. 23, and he said that at least 70 people were arrested in seven states.

“We are closely monitoring for any kind of reaction or restructuring within the cartel that could lead to violence,” he said.

On the evening of Feb. 22, the White House confirmed on X that the U.S. government provided intelligence to Mexico ahead of the raid targeting Oseguera Cervantes, who had been the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). In the post, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also praised the Mexican military for taking down one of the most wanted criminals in both countries.

“In this operation, three additional cartel members were killed, three were wounded, and two were arrested,” she wrote.

Responding to reports of violence carried out by cartel members across the country, the U.S. Embassy wrote on X that its personnel in several cities and states would shelter in place and work remotely on Feb. 23. It also warned any U.S. citizens in many parts of Mexico to shelter in place and be aware of their surroundings.

Oseguera Cervantes’s death triggered waves of violence across Mexico, as cartel operatives blocked roads, burned cars, and launched retaliatory attacks. Buildings were set on fire in multiple cities, and there were shootouts with Mexican officials.

U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that Mexico do more to fight the smuggling of fentanyl, warning that he could impose more tariffs or take unilateral military action if the country’s efforts don’t show results.

The State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Oseguera Cervantes’s arrest and conviction, describing CJNG as among the fastest-growing drug organizations in Mexico after it was founded in 2009. In 2025, the Trump administration designated CJNG and other major drug cartels in Mexico as foreign terrorist organizations.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.