A top Mexican resort town turned into a war zone Sunday after one of the world’s most feared cartel bosses was reportedly killed in a military raid — and the backlash was immediate.
Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the powerful and notoriously violent leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a Mexican military operation in Tapalpa, according to multiple reports. Within hours, cartel gunmen unleashed coordinated chaos across large swaths of the country.
Puerto Vallarta — a jewel of Mexico’s Pacific coast and the nation’s fourth-largest tourist destination — found itself under siege.
The U.S. State Department urged Americans to shelter in place as buses burned, trucks were torched, and thick black smoke rose above beachside hotels. Some American tourists reported being stranded, watching the violence unfold in real time.
BREAKING:
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco region in Mexico looks like it’s in a civil war
Violent scenes from Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco region, Mexico, after CJNG launch retaliatory attacks following the elimination of their leader El Mencho. pic.twitter.com/Wol3s4gOma
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) February 22, 2026
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco region in Mexico looks like it’s in a civil war“It looked like the whole city was on fire,” Colorado native Scott Posilkin told The Post from Puerto Vallarta. He described seeing a bus stopped in the middle of the road as passengers fled — only to realize it was no accident.
“A man with a gun came around the other side of the bus and waved it at us and told us to go back,” he said. “Right now we’re sheltering in place.”
Hotels in the resort zone reportedly shut down operations. Businesses closed their doors. Online posts from tourists described staying put, waiting for official instructions, unsure of what would happen next.
The violence was not confined to one city.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro confirmed federal forces carried out an operation that triggered clashes and
retaliatory blockades. He warned that much of the state was in “code red” and urged residents to remain indoors.
Horrifying footage shot by Canadians shows the city of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in flames as a cartel reportedly takes the city hostage.
Several Canadians opted to ditch travel to the U.S. for Mexico this year amid the “elbows up” movement.pic.twitter.com/fZIQEXzdro
— Élie Cantin-Nantel (@elie_mcn) February 22, 2026
Cartel operatives reportedly set vehicles ablaze across Jalisco and in multiple neighboring states — Michoacan, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, Colima, Aguascalientes, and Veracruz — creating fiery barricades designed to slow or trap security forces.
Guadalajara International Airport, the third-busiest in Mexico with nearly 19 million annual travelers, became another flashpoint. Videos circulating online appeared to show passengers running for cover amid reports of gunfire.
The Pacific Airport Group later stated that no incidents occurred inside airport facilities and that operations continued as normal, though National Guard troops were deployed.
Mexico is as bad as Somalia. https://t.co/pz6i2ak1wM
— FrontRowBrian
₿ (@FrontRowBrian) Meanwhile, Air Canada canceled flights into Puerto Vallarta due to what it called an ongoing security situation.
The ripple effects were massive. Schools in Jalisco were ordered closed Monday. Large public events were canceled. Merchants in several states shuttered their shops as black smoke drifted through city streets.
At the center of it all was El Mencho.
A former police officer and sixth-grade dropout, Oseguera Cervantes rose to become one of Mexico’s most powerful cartel leaders after the capture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. The CJNG built a reputation for extreme violence, sophisticated weaponry, and aggressive expansion.
The United States had placed a $15 million bounty on him. He had been indicted multiple times in Washington, D.C., including major drug trafficking conspiracy charges tied to smuggling narcotics into the U.S.
President Trump previously designated the cartel as an international terrorist organization, increasing pressure on Mexico to dismantle its leadership.
Major clashes involving automatic weapons between Mexican security forces and members of the CJNG Cartel in La Desembocada, on the northern outskirts of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. pic.twitter.com/eocUQyCAxm
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 22, 2026
According to Mexican defense officials, military personnel were attacked during Sunday’s operation and returned fire. Four CJNG members were killed at the scene. Three others reportedly died during air transfer to Mexico City. Oseguera Cervantes was among those who died.
But if authorities hoped his death would weaken the cartel overnight, Sunday’s violence sent a stark message: the organization remains capable of rapid, coordinated retaliation.
Images from across the region showed charred buses, burned-out vehicles at supermarkets, National Guard troops standing watch beside smoldering wreckage, and smoke rising ominously over Puerto Vallarta’s beaches.
For now, tourists remain sheltered. Flights are disrupted. Entire communities are on lockdown.
And Mexico is once again confronting the explosive reality of what happens when a cartel kingpin falls — but the empire he built refuses to go quietly.
