Today’s mañanera in 60 seconds

• El Mencho’s death explained: Defense Minister Trevilla said soldiers attempted to capture the CJNG leader but returned fire after coming under attack — three military personnel were killed. Sheinbaum cited the National Law on the Use of Force.
• Homicide numbers down: February averaged 48.8 murders per day — the least violent February in 11 years, down 35% vs. February 2025 and 44% vs. the final month of the López Obrador presidency.
• Most violent states: Over half of all February homicides were concentrated in eight states, led by Guanajuato, Sinaloa and Chihuahua.
• Shield of the Americas: Mexico was not invited to Trump’s new 17-nation counter-cartel coalition, but Sheinbaum was unfazed — pointing to an existing bilateral security agreement with the U.S. finalized when Marco Rubio visited Mexico City in September.
  

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The Feb. 22 military operation targeting Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes and the national homicide rate in February were among the issues discussed during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Tuesday morning press conference.

Sheinbaum also made additional comments on the United States’ formation of a new “counter cartel coalition,” which is made up of various Western Hemisphere nations, but not Mexico.

Why today’s mañanera matters  

More than two weeks after “El Mencho” was killed, interest in the operation that resulted in his death remains high. Reporters continue to attempt to extract more information from the government as they endeavor to piece together exactly what happened on the final Sunday in February.

On Tuesday, the government reported the latest homicide numbers, which are considered the most important indicator of the national security situation and a key barometer of the progress that has been made in addressing Mexico’s serious crime problems.

However, as Mexico News Daily reported in January, there are significant doubts over the accuracy of the government’s homicide numbers.

Why was ‘El Mencho’ killed rather than captured?

A reporter asked National Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla why Oseguera was killed rather than arrested in the military operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco.

Before Trevilla responded to the question, Sheinbaum said that Oseguera was killed because soldiers were attacked and they returned fire in accordance with the National Law on the Use of Force.

After highlighting that three military personnel were killed in the operation, the defense minister said that the army attempted to capture Oseguera, but “our people” were dying.

“They have every right to use weapons to defend themselves,” Trevilla said.

“Now, given the particular characteristics of this criminal, it is clear that it was unlikely that he would surrender. They had a lot of weapons,” he said, referring to Oseguera and members of his security detail.

Last month was the least violent February in 11 years 

National Public Security System chief Marcela Figueroa reported that there was an average of 48.8 homicides per day across Mexico in February, according to data provided to the federal government by Attorney General’s Offices in the country’s 32 states.

She highlighted that the daily homicide rate last month represents a reduction of 44% compared to September 2024, the final month of the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Compared to February 2025, the reduction in homicides was 35%.

Figueroa said that last month was the least violent February in terms of total murders in the past 11 years.

She also reported that 54.2% of all homicides in Mexico last month occurred in just eight states.

Guanajuato recorded the highest number of murders with 128, followed by Sinaloa (108); Chihuahua (102); Baja California (99); Morelos (82); Veracruz (77); México state (72); and Oaxaca (72).

Mexico recorded a total of 1,366 homicides last month. In January, the government reported that homicides declined 30% in 2025.

Sheinbaum and other officials have attributed the decline in homicides to the success of the federal security strategy.

Sheinbaum: Mexico ‘didn’t need to be invited’ to Shield of the Americas summit

Referring to the new Americas Counter Cartel Coalition — also known as the “Shield of the Americas” — a reporter asked the president her opinion on U.S. President Donald Trump’s formation of a group of “right-wing” Latin American countries.

“Well, it’s what he decided, right?” responded Sheinbaum.

“What I’ve said is that we have a prior [security] understanding with the United States,” she said.

Sheinbaum noted that Mexico’s current security pact with the U.S. was finalized when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Mexico City last September. She highlighted that Mexican and U.S. security officials hold formal talks on a monthly basis.

Sheinbaum acknowledged that Mexico wasn’t invited to the “Shield of the Americas” summit in Florida last Saturday, at which Trump signed a proclamation that states that U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth “established the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, a pledge from military leaders and representatives from 17 countries demonstrating that the region is ready to operationalize hard power to defeat these threats to our security and civilization.”

“But we didn’t need to be invited because we already have a [security] agreement with the United States,” the president added.