2026 Jalisco operation

Overview

On 22 February 2026, the Mexican Armed Forces conducted an operation which killed El Mencho, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and six others in Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico. The operation sparked clashes in the area, resulting in shootouts, explosions and multiple vehicles and stores being set on fire throughout the state and much of the rest of the country. The clashes have resulted in dozens of casualties for both the National Guard and cartel members, as well as at least one civilian death.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The killing of El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in Tapalpa, Jalisco on 22 February 2026 marked the elimination of one of the most significant cartel figures in the Mexican drug war. The operation was carried out by Mexican Armed Forces under the command of President Claudia Sheinbaum, Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, and Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch. The immediate aftermath demonstrated CJNG's organizational capacity to retaliate: clashes spread across Jalisco and much of the country, with shootouts, explosions, and arson attacks on vehicles and stores. Casualties were recorded among National Guard personnel, cartel members, and at least one civilian, underscoring the disruptive but volatile consequences of decapitation operations against entrenched cartel structures. Whether the removal of El Mencho would fracture the CJNG, trigger succession conflict, or prompt adaptation within the organization remained a central question for the trajectory of the broader conflict.

Commanders (4)