Multiple conflicts are currently unfolding simultaneously across several Mexican states. In Jalisco, fighting between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the federal government has created what authorities describe as an active warzone, with roadblocks and airport closures.
In Sinaloa, clashes between Los Chapitos and the Mayito Flaco faction have resulted in high-intensity violence, including daily shootouts in Culiacán.
This new wave of conflicts began on February 22, 2026, when Mexican security forces killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, during a military operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco. He was wounded in a clash with soldiers and died during the operation.
The raid, carried out by special forces with support from the air force and military intelligence, was conducted with information provided by U.S. authorities. Oseguera, who had a $15 million U.S. bounty on his head and faced multiple drug-trafficking indictments, was killed along with several alleged accomplices. Additional cartel members were arrested, and weapons, including rocket launchers, as well as armored vehicles were seized. Members of Mexico’s security forces were also injured in the operation.
Born in Michoacán in 1966, Oseguera later moved to the United States, where he was convicted in 1994 of conspiracy to distribute heroin and served three years in prison. After returning to Mexico, he resumed criminal activity and eventually co-founded CJNG around 2007. The cartel emerged from the remnants of the Milenio Cartel after its leader was arrested. Oseguera consolidated power through alliances, including ties to Los Cuinis, a family-based organization that managed financial and logistical operations.
Under his leadership, CJNG expanded across Mexico and became a major force in the global drug trade, trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl and maintaining connections to chemical precursor suppliers in China. The group has been linked to assassination attempts on officials, killings of rivals and law enforcement, coordinated attacks on security forces, and the 2015 downing of a military helicopter. It operates in more than 40 countries and was designated a terrorist organization by the United States in February 2025.
His death triggered widespread violence across multiple states, including Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Nayarit, Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, Guerrero, and Zacatecas. Gunmen set up roadblocks with burning vehicles, blocked highways, and attacked infrastructure, causing panic in cities such as Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. In Guanajuato, retaliation led to arson attacks on businesses and banks, while in Michoacán, clashes between CJNG and local autodefensa groups resulted in blockades and continued instability.
Authorities suspended public transportation, canceled school in several areas, and urged residents to stay indoors. Airlines from the United States and Canada halted flights to affected cities, and both governments issued travel warnings as unrest spread.
Analysts note that CJNG’s franchise-like structure, composed of numerous affiliated groups, makes it unlikely to collapse quickly. With no clear successor, internal power struggles could emerge, as previous efforts to remove cartel leaders have often resulted in replacements taking control while drug flows continued. The death of El Mencho on February 22, 2026, may further destabilize the organization and alter existing alliances.
One potential beneficiary of the shifting balance of power is Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, known as “El Chapo Isidro.” A former lieutenant in the Beltrán Leyva Organization, he has spent the past year expanding the Guasave Cartel from a regional operation into a broader power base. On January 12, 2026, analysts assessed that he had moved from a regional figure to a national-level actor. In May 2025, he formed an alliance with Ismael “Mayito Flaco” Zambada, combining his military wing with the logistical networks of the Mayiza faction.
To counter this bloc, Los Chapitos aligned with their former rivals, CJNG, in mid-2025, with El Mencho reportedly sending gunmen into Sinaloa to support the Guzmán faction. El Mencho’s death is expected to weaken that arrangement as CJNG leaders focus on internal control. Analysts suggest this could leave Los Chapitos isolated while Meza Flores and Mayito Flaco consolidate influence in the Golden Triangle region.
The Sinaloa conflict, which began on September 9, 2024, has lasted approximately 17 months and has resulted in more than 4,000 people killed or disappeared. Meza Flores controls the Guasave region and has expanded operations into Sonora and Nayarit.
On February 4, 2025, the FBI added Meza-Flores to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. He was originally indicted in 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and a superseding indictment in 2019 charged him with drug trafficking violations and firearm possession. According to the indictment, he allegedly conspired to manufacture and distribute cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana in the United States from 2005 to 2019. The U.S. State Department is offering up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
A 42-year-old Mexican national, he is believed to be in Mexico and is considered armed, dangerous, and an international flight risk. His case is part of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces to dismantle high-level trafficking organizations. Experts state that weakening such groups requires targeting infrastructure, finances, and logistics.
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