Photos: Mexican president calls for calm as violence erupts after drug lord’s killing

2026-02-23 - 11:46

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged citizens on Sunday to remain calm and stay informed following the operation that led to the death of narcotrafficking kingpin Nemesio Oseguera, one of the most-wanted criminals in the country. “There is absolute coordination with governments in every state; we should keep ourselves informed and stay calm,” Sheinbaum wrote on X. A view of burned cars and trucks, allegedly set on fire by organised crime groups in response to an operation to arrest a high-priority security target, on a highway near Acatlan de Juarez, Jalisco state, Mexico on February 22, 2026. The Mexican army announced that it had killed powerful drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera in an operation that sparked a wave of violence in various parts of the country on February 22, 2026. Gunmen retaliating for the raid blocked more than 20 roads in western Jalisco state, which includes Tapalpa, with burning cars and trucks. The violence spread to other states as well. (Photo by Ulises Ruiz / AFP) Following the military operation, armed men blocked off multiple highways and burned businesses in the states of Jalisco, Michoacan, Guanajuato, Puebla and Sinaloa. Vanguard News