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At least 25 members of Mexico’s National Guard have been killed in six separate attacks following the death of notorious cartel leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, authorities said Monday, as much of the country braced for further violence.
Mexican Defence Secretary, Ricardo Trevilla said special forces tracked one of Oseguera’s romantic partners to his hideout in Tapalpa, Jalisco, leading to a military operation early Sunday.
According to Trevilla, army and National Guard special forces came under heavy fire shortly after moving in. Eight gunmen were killed at the initial scene. Oseguera and two bodyguards fled into a wooded area, where they were seriously wounded during a firefight.
The cartel leader and his bodyguards were flown out alongside an injured soldier but died en route to Mexico City, Trevilla said.
In a separate operation elsewhere in Jalisco, soldiers killed another high-ranking CJNG member, who authorities said had been coordinating retaliatory violence and offering cash rewards for each soldier killed.
Security Secretary, Omar García Harfuch, said approximately 30 suspected criminals were killed in Jalisco, with four others killed in neighbouring Michoacán state. Also, among the dead were a prison guard, a state prosecutor’s office agent and an unidentified woman.
The violence sparked chaos across large swaths of the country. Cartel members blocked highways, torched vehicles and set up road barricades in multiple states. Authorities reported more than 250 roadblocks across 20 states, all of which were cleared yesterday.
Several states cancelled classes and both local and foreign governments advised citizens to remain indoors.
President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm during her daily news conference, saying security forces were working to stabilise the affected regions.
The White House confirmed that the United States provided intelligence support for the operation and praised Mexico’s military for taking down one of the most wanted criminals in both countries.
The CJNG has long been considered one of the world’s most significant fentanyl traffickers. Analysts say Mexico’s government hopes Oseguera’s death would ease pressure from Washington to intensify its crackdown on organised crime.
Despite official assurances, fears of further retaliation lingered.
The US embassy in Mexico announced that personnel in eight cities and in Michoacán would shelter in place and work remotely yesterday. It also advised US citizens in several regions to remain indoors until the situation stabilises.
In Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco and Mexico’s second-largest city, daily life was severely disrupted. On Sunday, the city was largely deserted as residents stayed home amid reports of gunfire and arson.
More than 1,000 visitors were stranded overnight at Guadalajara’s zoo, where families slept inside buses under police protection. Zoo director, Luis Soto Rendón, said authorities allowed people to remain inside the facility for safety, citing the presence of small children and elderly visitors.
By early yesterday, some activity resumed in the city. Pharmacies and a handful of essential businesses reopened under tight security. Residents queued for food, medicine, water and baby supplies, purchasing items through partially secured entrances.
Security officials warned that while major roadblocks had been dismantled, they remained on high alert for further reprisals.
The killing of Oseguera marks one of the most significant blows to organised crime in Mexico in recent years. However, analysts caution that the CJNG’s structure and territorial reach mean its operations were unlikely to end immediately, raising concerns that violence could persist in the short term as rival factions and security forces navigate the aftermath.
