President Claudia Sheinbaum urged Mexicans to remain calm and stay well-informed after a federal operation targeting Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes triggered a violent response from cartel henchmen.
The federal Defense Ministry said that Oseguera died while being transported by air to Mexico City after he was wounded by federal forces during an operation on Sunday morning in the municipality of Tapalpa, Jalisco.
Fiery narco-blockades were erected on roads and highways in Jalisco and neighboring states in response to the federal operation. Many businesses were also set on fire, including a Costco store in Puerto Vallarta, as the CJNG retaliated against the death of Oseguera, who had eluded authorities for years. It wasn’t immediately clear whether any lives of innocent people had been lost due to the hostile cartel response.
On Sunday afternoon, Sheinbaum noted on social media that the Defense Ministry had reported on the operation carried out by federal forces on Sunday morning.
“There is complete coordination with governments of all states,” she wrote.
“We must remain informed and stay calm,” Sheinbaum added.
The president said that the social media accounts of the federal government’s security cabinet are providing regular updates.
Sheinbaum also wrote that “activities” are proceeding normally in most of the country.
“My recognition to the Mexican Army, the National Guard, the armed forces and the Security Cabinet,” she said.
“We work every day for peace, security, justice and the well-being of Mexico,” her post concluded.
The federal security cabinet said on social media on Sunday afternoon that it was working “in coordination with the governments of federal entities to respond to any incident.”
It said that the presence of authorities has been strengthened in different parts of the country in order to “clear roads and reestablish order.”
El Gabinete de Seguridad trabaja en coordinación con los gobiernos de las entidades federativas para atender cualquier incidente; se ha reforzado la presencia de las autoridades en distintos puntos para liberar vialidades y restablecer el orden, con el apoyo de los tres órdenes…
— Gabinete de Seguridad de México (@GabSeguridadMX) February 22, 2026
The security cabinet called on people to not disseminate unverified information and “only consult official channels” of communication.
“The priority of the government of Mexico is to protect the population,” the cabinet said, adding that it will continue to provide information.
The Defense Ministry said earlier on Sunday that military personnel came under attack during the operation in Tapalpa, located about 130 kilometers southwest of Guadalajara.
It said that the military personnel returned fire and four CJNG members were killed at the scene and three others, including Oseguera, were seriously wounded and died while being transferred by air to Mexico City.
The Defense Ministry said that three military personnel were wounded, all of whom were transferred to Mexico City for medical treatment.
Mexico News Daily
