Did the U.S. spark cartel violence in Mexico?

Over the weekend, chilling footage emerged of cartel activity lighting up the skyline in various regions of Mexico, leaving U.S. citizens stranded at resorts

by Summer Lane | February 23, 2026

Over the weekend, chaos erupted in Mexico after the killing of drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, sparking speculation about whether he had been killed by U.S. military operatives.

As online footage popped up on social media showing cars and buildings burning around the embattled country, Americans visiting Mexico were advised by the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico to shelter in place across several locations, including Jalisco State, Tamaulipas State, and multiple other regions.

This also came after the Guadalajara International Airport exploded into a war zone amid suspected cartel attacks, in what was a potential retaliatory strike following Cervantes’ elimination.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed “El Mencho’s” death on Sunday, but clarified U.S. involvement in the operation to take him out.

“The United States provided intelligence support to the Mexican government in order to assist with an operation in Talpalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, in which Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, an infamous drug lord and leader within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was eliminated,” she wrote in a statement.

Leavitt continued, “‘El Mencho’ was a was a top target for the Mexican and United States government as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland. Last year, President Trump rightfully designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization — because that’s exactly what it is. In this operation, three additional cartel members were killed, three were wounded, and two were arrested.”

The sudden violence unleashed in Mexico has highlighted the severe danger that cartels within the domestic United States pose to American citizens – cartels that entered the country illegally during Joe Biden’s administration.

“For four years, the same cartels wreaking havoc in Mexico operated with impunity along our southern border,” observed Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts. “Some of their members are still in the country, and leftists are rioting to protect them. Whether blue-city violence in the U.S. or cartels in Mexico, tolerating criminal behavior never leads to less crime—only more victims and destruction.”

Photo: Adobe Stock