Violent clashes erupted in parts of western Mexico on Sunday amid a military operation that left the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel dead, sparking security concerns across the region.

Mexican security forces killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” during an operation in the western state of Jalisco. said In a statement about X, he said that he was injured during an attack in the town of Tapalpa and died on the way to Mexico City by plane.

Jalisco is home to cartels known to traffic large amounts of fentanyl and other drugs into the United States.

Christopher Landau, US Deputy Secretary of State, Confirmed Describing the death of the cartel leader, he described him as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug lords”.

“This is a great development for Mexico, the United States, Latin America and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys,” he told X.

U.S. defense officials told CBS News that the U.S. military played a role in the operation through the Interagency Joint Task Force Counter-Cartels, which regularly works with the Mexican military through U.S. Northern Command. “This is a Mexican military operation and the success belongs to them,” the official stressed.

Mike Vigil, former DEA director of international operations, told CBS News that the military operation was “one of the most significant actions ever undertaken in the history of drug trafficking.”

“We’re talking about people at about the same level.” (Joaquin) “El Chapo” Guzman and (Ismael) “El Mayo Zambada” he added. “(Oseguera Cervantes) is one of the biggest drug traffickers in the history of drug trafficking around the world.”

During the operation, troops came under fire and four people were killed at the scene. Three more people were injured, including Oseguera Cervantes, who later died, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. Two other people were also arrested and an armored vehicle, rocket launcher and other weapons were seized. Three military personnel were injured and are receiving treatment.

The killing of a powerful drug lord sparked hours-long road closures in Jalisco and other states as vehicles burned. Such tactics are often used by cartels to thwart military operations.

Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro activated “Code Red,” a state of emergency or security crisis protocol, in response to the clashes. In a post on X, he said public transportation was suspended across the state of Jalisco and called on local residents to stay at home until the situation is under control.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo on social media He acknowledged that there were obstacles, but stressed that “activity is proceeding completely normally in most parts of the country.”

Videos circulating on social media showed panicked people rushing through the state capital’s airport as smoke billowed into the sky above Puerto Vallarta, the main city in Jalisco state.

“They are burning buses and blocking roads not only in Jalisco, but also in Michoacán, Colima, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato and Aguascalientes,” Vigil said. “And what they’re trying to do is show that they’re still a force to be reckoned with, that this wasn’t a fatal blow for them.

Flaming vehicles blocked roads in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state and Mexico’s second-largest city, which will host World Cup matches this summer.

A similar situation occurred at the airport in Reynosa, a Mexican border city in Tamaulipas state, local sources and family members in the city told CBS News’ Nydia Cavazos. The roads leading to and from the airport were reportedly blocked by cartel members. Reynosa borders McAllen, Texas, and is usually crowded with Americans traveling back and forth. The international bridge remains open, but the main road leading to it has been closed.

US Department of State issues security alert give advice U.S. citizens living in several Mexican states, including Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon, are sheltering in place until further notice. The State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs said in a message urging U.S. citizens to continue sheltering in place. said on social media Taxi and rideshare services were suspended in Puerto Vallarta.

Air Canada has suspended operations at Puerto Vallarta Airport, citing the “ongoing security situation in Puerto Vallarta” impacting the airport.

“We are monitoring the situation and are in contact with local authorities who are working to resolve the issue,” the airline said. said.

Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines confirmed Sunday that they had canceled flights to and from Puerto Vallarta, and Delta Air Lines also canceled flights and issued travel waivers to customers flying to and from airports in Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.

“The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority and we are closely monitoring the local situation. We are taking steps to adjust our operations accordingly and are working to communicate with affected customers,” Delta Air Lines said in a statement.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG, is one of Mexico’s most powerful and fastest-growing criminal organizations. Oseguera Cervantes, 59, is from Aguililla, in the neighboring state of Michoacán. He was deeply involved in drug trafficking operations starting in the 1990s. He helped co-found the Jalisco New Generation Cartel with Eric Valencia Salazar (also known as “El 85”) around 2007.

Valencia Salazar was among them. 29 wanted cartel leaders detained in US Last February, according to the Department of Justice.

The Jalisco cartel is one of the most aggressive in attacks on the military, including by helicopter, and has pioneered launching explosives from drones and planting landmines. In 2020, he carried out a spectacular assassination attempt using a hand grenade and a high-powered rifle against the then-capital police chief and current federal security chief in central Mexico City.

The DEA considers the cartel to be as powerful as the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s most notorious criminal organizations, with a presence in all 50 states.

Since 2017, Oseguera-Cervantes has been indicted several times in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to El Mencho’s arrest.

In February 2025, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization. I’m saying In addition to fentanyl trafficking, the group “also engages in extortion, migrant smuggling, oil and mineral theft, and arms trafficking.”