El Mencho: Mexico officials say 25 soldiers killed after cartel raid

El Mencho: Mexico officials say 25 soldiers killed after cartel raidMexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says that calm is being restored and that improvised cartel roadblocks are being removed.Published On 23 Feb 2026Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has sought to assuage fears following a government raid that killed one of the country’s most-wanted drug trafficking leaders, prompting a series of violent outbursts by cartels across the country.Speaking alongside Sheinbaum during a press conference on Monday, Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said that 25 members of the National Guard had been killed in fighting with criminal groups in the state of Jalisco after the raid.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘El Mencho’ killing sparks ‘overwhelming fear’ as violence erupts in Mexicolist 2 of 3Who are Mexico’s top cartel bosses killed or arrested in recent years?list 3 of 3Who was El Mencho? What drug lord’s killing means for Mexicoend of list“What is important now is to guarantee peace and security of all the population, of all of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said, adding that conditions have improved and Mexico “is calm” after the Sunday raid that killed Nemesio Oseguera, also known as “El Mencho”, of the Jalisco-new-generation-cartel" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="15215" data-entity-type="organization">Jalisco New Generation Cartel.The killing of Mencho comes as Mexico is under growing pressure from the United States to take a more aggressive stance towards drug-trafficking groups, although the killing of top-level cartel figures in the past has had little impact on the drug trade and has often created a leadership vacuum that others violently act to fill.The raid also set off a wave of reprisal attacks and impromptu roadblocks that have spread fear and uncertainty through Mexico, where criminal groups violently jostle for control of territory.Garcia Harfuch said that the 25 members of the National Guard were killed in six incidents across Jalisco, adding that 30 people he described as criminal suspects were also killed in the clashes, along with four in Michoacan.