Mexican Drug Lord's Death Triggers Nationwide Revenge Attacks

On Sunday afternoon, tourists on a Puerto Vallarta pier pulled out their phones to capture an unsettling sight: thick black smoke billowing across the blue Pacific horizon. Daniel Drolet, a Canadian who has wintered in the beach resort for years, watched in disbelief. "I have never seen anything like this before," he said.

The chaos began five hours away in the mountain town of Tapalpa, where Mexican military forces killed Nemesio Oseguera—better known as El Mencho—the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Within hours, gunmen across seven states launched coordinated revenge attacks that would paralyze highways, torch businesses, and send tourists scrambling for safety.

When Paradise Becomes a War Zone

Major airlines including Air Canada, United Airlines, and Aeromexico cancelled flights to Puerto Vallarta as smoke from burning vehicles obscured the typically pristine resort town. Jalisco authorities urged hotel guests to remain indoors and suspended public transit entirely.

Across Mexico, the violence painted a familiar but terrifying picture. Gunmen blocked the heavily trafficked Mexico-Puebla highway. In Aguascalientes state, a green military tank rumbled through residential neighborhoods. Colima saw cartel members in pickup trucks establishing roadblocks. The trucking industry issued urgent warnings for drivers to seek safe areas or return to their depots.

A suspected CJNG member told Reuters the attacks were "carried out in revenge for the leader's death," but warned of worse to come: "Later the internal killings are coming, by the groups moving in to take over."

The Endless Cycle of Cartel Wars

For Mexicans, this scene represents a depressingly familiar pattern. Two decades of government wars against drug cartels have ravaged broad swaths of the country, with each major arrest or killing triggering waves of retaliatory violence.

The precedents are stark. In 2019, Ovidio Guzman (son of El Chapo) was captured but quickly released after widespread gun battles erupted. His 2023 re-arrest triggered more violence. The 2024 capture of Sinaloa Cartel boss Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada sparked a bloody power struggle that continues more than a year later.

"It's not surprising that the bad guys are responding with terror. But we must never lose our nerve," posted Christopher Landau, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and former ambassador to Mexico.

Tourism Industry Under Siege

The violence strikes at the heart of Mexico's economic lifeline. Tourism accounts for 8.7% of GDP and employs 4 million people. Puerto Vallarta, normally a placid resort destination, suddenly found itself in the crosshairs of cartel warfare.

In Guadalajara—one of three Mexican cities hosting World Cup matches this summer—residents shared warnings on WhatsApp groups, encouraging people to stay home. "There is fear and a lot of caution," said local resident Carlo Gutierrez.

Guanajuato state, a CJNG stronghold, reported 55 incidents across 23 municipalities with 18 arrests, though officials claimed all situations were under control by evening. President Claudia Sheinbaum struck a calm tone, insisting that "in most of the national territory activities are happening with absolute normalcy."

The Hydra Problem

The immediate aftermath reveals the fundamental challenge facing Mexican authorities. Killing a cartel leader doesn't eliminate the organization—it fragments it. Power vacuums create opportunities for rivals and trigger internal succession wars that often prove more violent than the original leadership.

Beyond the immediate security concerns, the violence exposes Mexico's vulnerability to organized crime's economic leverage. When cartels can shut down highways, ground flights, and terrorize tourist zones at will, it raises uncomfortable questions about who really controls Mexican territory.