Violence hits Mexico after cartel leader killed

The killing of a notorious cartel leader in a shootout with Mexican special forces prompted a round of violence in Guadalajara and deaths of 25 national guardsmen in various attacks.

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World News

February 23, 2026 - 2:51 PM

Firefighters extinguish a burning vehicle set on fire by organized crime groups in response to an operation in Jalisco to arrest a high-priority security target, at one of the main avenues in Zapopan, state of Jalisco, Mexico, on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. Armed civilians blocked several roads in the state of Jalisco, in western Mexico, following an operation by federal forces in the town of Tapalpa, local authorities reported. Photo by Ulises Ruiz/AFP/Getty Images/TNS

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Twenty-five members of the Mexican National Guard died in six separate attacks after special forces killed the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the country’s security secretary said Monday as much of Mexico feared more violence.

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, called “El Mencho,” was the boss of one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico, known for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the United States and staging brazen attacks against government officials who challenged the…

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