Mexico woke up to a day of smoke, sirens and fear after the killing of its most-wanted drug lord, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the powerful leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). El Mencho was killed in a Mexican military raid carried out with intelligence support from the White House, according to US officials. Within hours, parts of the country were gripped by violent retaliation that exposed the deep and immediate reach of cartel power.
The Mexican government’s Security Cabinet confirmed that more than 250 blockades were reported across 20 states. While authorities later said most roadblocks had been cleared, the damage was already visible on highways, city streets and in frightened communities. Buses were torched, businesses set ablaze and gunmen clashed openly with security forces, according to a report by CNN World.
In several regions, daily life came to a halt. Schools closed early. Shops pulled down shutters. Public transport stopped running. For many residents, it felt less like isolated unrest and more like coordinated urban warfare, the report mentioned.
Guadalajara gas station and grocery store in flames
One video circulating on X (formerly Twitter) showed cartel members taking over a gas station in Guadalajara, a stronghold of the CJNG. Armed men were seen evacuating civilians before deliberately igniting the fuel pumps. Thick black smoke rose into the sky as flames engulfed the station – a message of retaliation following El Mencho’s death.
NEW:
🇲🇽 This is how sicarios from the CJNG burn down a gas station in Guadalajara, using long weapons, in retaliation for the killing of their leader “El Mencho”.
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) February 22, 2026
Another clip showed a grocery store set on fire, reportedly catching shoppers off guard.
NEW:
🇲🇽 Cartel set fire to a grocery store and caught shoppers off guard.
Preliminary information indicates that several people suffered smoke inhalation and one woman was taken to the hospital in a private vehicle. pic.twitter.com/fkyfuTCFNr
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) February 22, 2026
Panic at Guadalajara International Airport
The violence was not confined to roads and neighbourhoods. Footage verified by CNN showed distant smoke and scenes of panic at major airports. At Guadalajara International Airport, travellers were seen taking cover near a jetway and sprinting through terminals as smoke rose in the distance.
For hours, uncertainty hung in the air. Flights were disrupted, and passengers huddled together, checking phones for updates. Later, Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency confirmed that normal operations at the airport had resumed. But the images of fear lingered.
Highways turned into battlegrounds
In yet another video, CJNG gunmen were seen hijacking a fuel tanker. The tanker was positioned to block a major road, effectively sealing off access. The gunmen then handed the keys back to the driver and fired in his direction before opening fire on the tanker itself. The tactic – creating fiery barricades – has long been used by cartels to slow down security forces and assert territorial control.
BREAKING:
🇲🇽 CJNG gunmen hijack a fuel tanker, position it to seal off the road, hand the keys back to the driver, fire in his direction, then open fire on the tanker itself. pic.twitter.com/wEr9Q5JJUY
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) February 22, 2026
Direct attacks on security forces
Another footage circulating online showed what appeared to be a CJNG attack on a Mexican National Guard unit in Jalisco. Gunfire echoed through the streets as security personnel took cover.
El Mencho had built the CJNG into one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent criminal organisations. His death marks a significant symbolic victory for the Mexican government and its US partners.