A bus was set on fire in response to an operation in Jalisco to arrest a high-priority security target, at one of the main avenues in Zapopan, state of Jalisco, Mexico, on February 22, 2026. ULISES RUIZ / AFP
At least 25 Mexican troops died in clashes with cartel gunmen following a raid that led to the death of the country's most-wanted drug lord, a top security official said Monday, February 23. Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was wounded Sunday in a shootout with soldiers in the town of Tapalpa, in Jalisco state, and died while being flown to Mexico City, the army said.
News of his death triggered spasms of violence, with cartel members across the country blocking roads in 20 states and torching vehicles and businesses. At least 25 National Guard members were killed in subsequent clashes, Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said. Harfuch added that a prison guard, a member of the state prosecutor's office and 30 suspected members of Oseguera's criminal organization were also killed.
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