America News Agency

Mexico’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that the cartel leader known as “El Mencho,” one of the world’s most wanted drug traffickers, was killed by security forces. The operation triggered a wave of violence, with cars set on fire and highways blocked by armed men in more than six states.

The killing of El Mencho immediately caused turmoil in the region he controlled, highlighting his vast influence across Mexico and other parts of Latin America. The unrest led US and Canadian airlines to cancel dozens of flights. Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to Puerto Vallarta “due to the ongoing security situation” and advised customers not to go to the airport.

On Sunday, so-called “drug” barricades made of burning cars, buses and trucks were seen in at least eight Mexican states: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Michoacán, Colima, Guerrero, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. Video footage showed massive plumes of smoke rising over Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist city known for its Pacific Ocean beaches.

Scenes of chaos unfolded in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco (one of the hosts of the 2026 World Cup), where panicked passengers at the airport tried to hide for fear of possible retaliatory attacks by El Mencho’s fighters. Armed men were seen setting vehicles on fire in the city center.

A video shared on social media showed a heavily armed group arriving in a white car and setting a gas station on fire in Guadalajara.

By Sunday night, Guadalajara had turned into a ghost city as civilians remained indoors. Schools were closed in several states on Monday.

The ministry said the drug baron, whose real name was Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, was killed Sunday in the western state of Jalisco along with at least six alleged accomplices.

The 59-year-old Cervantes was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which in recent years became Mexico’s most powerful and notorious criminal organization.

Four cartel members were killed at the scene, while three others died while being flown to Mexico City, including El Mencho.

Two alleged cartel members were captured with weapons including rocket launchers capable of downing aircraft and destroying armored vehicles. Images published in the regional newspaper El Occidental showed fierce clashes in Tapalpa, located in Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountain range.