US citizens urged to ‘shelter in place’ after Mexico drug lord’s killing sparks wave of violence
US citizens urged to ‘shelter in place’ after Mexico drug lord’s killing sparks wave of violence
Puerto Vallarta may have been among the worst affected cities in Mexico by cartel violence following the killing of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the head of Jalisco New Generation Cartel — but it is normally a tourism hotspot popular with US visitors.
Known as Las Peñas in the 1800s, it was renamed after former state governor Ignacio Vallarta in the early 1900s.
Traditionally a fishing town on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, Puerto Vallarta also generated income through agricultural exports such as bananas, coconuts and corn. These days, it relies on importing tourists, hypnotized by the green turquoise seawater.
Now a buzzing resort town, it has succeeded in making the most of its natural attractions, proving popular with visitors seeking sun, sand and relaxation.
Last year it hosted 1.23 million US tourists, as well as attracting long-term residents.
David Bar-Tal, a US citizen living in the town, told CNN that he and his partner saw “black fire pillars” and explosions near their house on what he called a “hectic” day.
Others, like Dallas resident Adryan Moorefield, who was set to travel home from Puerto Vallarta on Sunday, will now be spending longer in town than they had planned, with the US State Department telling citizens to shelter in place.
Mexico’s most-wanted drug leader, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, died following a Mexican military operation in the western state of Jalisco yesterday.
The death of Osegeura, who led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, quickly sparked waves of violence across the country, as suspected members of organized crime groups set buses on fire, blocked roads in the area, and clashed with authorities.
For those just joining us, here’s what you need to know about what’s happened so far:
- Osegeura was seriously injured during the Mexican military’s operation and died while he was being transported via aircraft to Mexico City, the country’s defense ministry said. CJNG members traded fire with the government forces during the raid, resulting in the death of four gang members, according to the ministry. Two others died alongside Osegeura while being transported to Mexico City, it added.
- The military operation triggered a violent response across Jalisco state, which quickly spread to other states across the country. Video obtained by CNN showed multiple fires burning and plumes of smoke rising across Puerto Vallarta, a resort city popular with US tourists on Mexico’s west coast. Pharmacies and convenience stores were also set alight.
- The US provided intelligence to assist in the operation that killed Osegeura, the White House said yesterday. A US defense official also told CNN that an interagency US task force “played a role” in the operation.
- The US embassy urged Americans to shelter in place amid the unrest. A host of countries issued warnings to their citizens inside Mexico after the violence broke out, urging them to stay vigilant and follow the advice of local authorities.
- Several airlines suspended flights to and from Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara yesterday, with footage captured at major airports showing distant smoke and panicked travelers. An American woman from California told CNN: “I’ve been coming to Mexico all my life, ever since I was a little girl, and I’ve never encountered something like this.”
- The Mexican football association postponed four games scheduled to take place yesterday because of the violence. Jalisco’s state capital Guadalajara is set to host multiple FIFA World Cup matches this summer. FIFA has not yet commented on the violence that flared after the death of Oseguera.
CNN’s Fidel Gutierrez, Mitchell McCluskey, Veronica Stracqualursi, Lex Harvey, Hilary Whiteman, Joyce Jiang, Nic F. Anderson, Tim Lister and Brad Lendon contributed to this reporting.
The US Embassy and Consulates in Mexico has urged its citizens to shelter in place amid “ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity,” in the wake of unrest sparked by the killing of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.
US government staff in locations across the country will be working from home today, it said, adding that American citizens “should do the same.”
Cities inside Jalisco State, such as Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara, were among those affected by the unrest, the statement said, also mentioning cities in the states of Baja California, Quintana Roo, Nayarit State and Sinaloa.
Operations on toll roads in Puebla, Guerrero, Tamaulipas, Nayarit, San Luis Potosi, Tijuana, Queretaro, Veracruz and Mazatlan were “temporarily curtailed,” the statement said, because of “blockades that have affected motorists.”
Late last night, Mexico’s Security Cabinet said that most roadblocks were cleared and main roads reopened following waves of violence.
The US embassy said that its citizens should “seek shelter and minimize unnecessary movements,” as well as “avoid areas around law enforcement activity.”
Americans should also monitor local media for updates and follow the directions of local authorities, it said.
Several countries issued warnings and instructions to their citizens after the violence erupted.
With the death of Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel faces a looming succession battle, according to Mexico City-based security consultant David Saucedo.
The cartel’s line of succession has been broken, Saucedo told CNN’s Rey Rodriguez. El Mencho’s son, Ruben Oseguera Gonzalez (“El Menchito”), is jailed in the US, leaving only one brother and a stepson, who, Saucedo says, “still lacks influence among other cartel commanders.”
This leadership vacuum could spark an internal war, like the conflict that erupted within the Sinaloa Cartel when facing a power vacuum after the 2024 capture of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. The Sinaloa conflict was fueled by the lack of a clear family successor, as cartel leadership often follows a dynastic pattern – passing from fathers to sons, siblings, or cousins.
Without an Oseguera family member as a clear successor, now “it’s likely that one of four or five top commanders will emerge as the next leader,” Saucedo said.
Saucedo noted that while a violent succession struggle is possible, the cartel commanders could also negotiate a smooth transition of power.
Among the contenders, Saucedo counted Ricardo Ruiz Velasco (“El Doble R”), Audias Flores (“El Jardinero” or “The Gardener”), another known as “El Sapo,” and a fourth figure – El Mencho’s former head of security – about whom little is known.
A September 2025 report from the US Direction of National Intelligence identified El Sapo as Hugo Mendoza Gaytan, and also mentioned Oseguera’s stepson Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzalez (“El Pelon”) and son-in-law Julio Alberto Castillo Rodriguez (“El Chorro”) as part of the cartel leadership.
Sunday’s operation that killed cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes was carried out by Mexican Army Special Forces with the help of air force aircraft and the National Guard’s Immediate Reaction Force, the country’s Defense Department said.
As troops moved in to arrest members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, they came under fire, the department’s statement said.
“Military personnel were attacked, and in self-defense, they repelled the aggression,” killing four cartel members at the scene and wounding three others, including Oseguerua, who died while being airlifted to a hospital.
Two other alleged gang members were taken into custody, it said.
The Mexican government force seized weapons including rocket launchers capable of bringing down aircraft or destroying armored vehicles, the statement said.
The Mexican military has long played a role in combatting criminal cartels in the country.
According to the independent intelligence company Grey Dynamics, Mexico’s special forces trace their roots back to units formed to provide security during the 1986 World Cup in the country.
The current unit of elite troops has been compared to Britain’s SAS (Special Air Services) or the US Army’s Delta Force for its training and tactics, Grey Dynamics says.
Mexico’s National Guard was designed to have civilian oversight, but control of the 115,000-troop force was transferred to the military in 2024, giving the armed forces more involvement in domestic security matters, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies in its “Military Balance 2025” book.
Several high-ranking allies and cartel figures linked to Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes are already in United States custody, with some serving lengthy prison sentences, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
Abigael González Valencia: Oseguera’s brother-in-law, Abigael is facing drug trafficking charges in the US. He’s the former leader of the Los Cuinis cartel, which served as the financial and logistical arm of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Abigael was arrested in February 2015 in Puerto Vallarta and was one of 26 cartel figures Mexico handed over to the US in August 2025.
José González Valencia: A leader of the Los Cuinis cartel along with his brothers, José is serving a 30-year prison sentence in the US for drug trafficking. He was arrested in 2017 under the first Trump administration at a beach resort in Brazil while vacationing with his family under a fake name.
Cristian “El Guacho” Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa: Oseguera’s son-in-law, El Guacho, is high-ranking CJNG member who was sentenced to 11 years in a US prison for international money laundering conspiracy in December 2025.
Ruben “El Menchito” Oseguera González: Oseguera’s son was sentenced to a life term in prison plus 30 years in March 2025. Ruben was CJNG’s second-in-command and led the cartel for nearly seven years, during which he ordered the murder of more than 100 people, according to the DEA. US authorities have described him as “one of the first contributors to the fentanyl epidemic in the United States.”
Others: Older brother to “El Mencho,” Antonio “Tony Montana” Oseguera Cervantes, alleged to be the main financial and logistical operator of CJNG, and Érick “El 85” Valencia Salazar, an alleged CJNG co-founder and Oseguera’s close advisor, were among 29 wanted cartel leaders taken into US custody in February 2025.
Rosalinda González Valencia: Oseguera’s wife and sister of cartel leader Abigael González Valencia, Rosalinda was arrested in 2021 by Mexican authorities, accused of serving as a financial operator for a criminal group. She was released in 2025 after a short stint in a Mexican prison.
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