Mexico's Most Powerful Cartel Boss Dies, 20 States Erupt in Violence

Twenty Mexican states have simultaneously become war zones. The death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as "El Mencho," during a bloody capture operation has triggered a nationwide revenge campaign by his Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) that's unprecedented in its scope and brutality.

The most feared criminal organization in Mexico isn't just mourning their leader—they're making the entire country pay.

When Cities Become Battlefields

BBC correspondent Quentin Sommerville witnessed the reality firsthand in Culiacán, northern Sinaloa state. This isn't just another cartel hotspot—it's a city where paramedics have become war correspondents, documenting violence that defies comprehension.

Paramedics Julio César Vega and Héctor Torres race through streets that have become shooting galleries, attending to victims of stabbings and shootings that occur with clockwork regularity. "The violence in Culiacán had never been so bad or gone on for so long," Torres told the BBC, his voice carrying the weight of someone who's seen too much.

This is what happens when a power vacuum opens in Mexico's drug trade. Culiacán is already reeling from its own cartel crisis—the 2024 capture of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, now imprisoned in the US, left the Sinaloa Cartel in internal warfare. Now, with CJNG's revenge campaign spreading nationwide, ordinary Mexicans find themselves caught between multiple criminal armies.

The Domino Effect of Criminal Leadership

El Mencho's death represents more than the elimination of a criminal leader—it's the collapse of a carefully maintained criminal ecosystem. For years, he commanded one of Mexico's most sophisticated and violent organizations, with operations spanning from drug trafficking to kidnapping, extortion, and territorial control.

But here's what makes this different: modern cartels don't simply dissolve when their leaders die. Instead, they fragment into smaller, more unpredictable cells, each seeking to prove their legitimacy through increasingly spectacular violence. The 20-state rampage isn't random chaos—it's a calculated demonstration of power, a message that CJNG remains operational despite the loss of its figurehead.

This pattern repeats across Mexico's criminal landscape. When El Mayo was captured, it didn't end the Sinaloa Cartel—it split it into warring factions. When El Chapo was arrested, new leaders emerged. The hydra keeps growing new heads.

Beyond Mexico's Borders

The violence rippling across Mexico doesn't stop at international boundaries. These cartels supply drugs to markets across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. When their operations are disrupted, the effects cascade through global supply chains—both legal and illegal.

For the United States, this represents a direct security threat. Mexican cartels control approximately 70% of the fentanyl entering the US, and operational chaos often means more desperate tactics, including increased violence against American citizens and interests.

European authorities are watching closely too. CJNG has established operations in over 40 countries, making them a truly transnational threat. When organizations of this scale become unstable, the ripple effects reach far beyond Mexico's borders.

The Paramedics' War

Perhaps the most telling indicator of how bad things have become is found in the testimonies of first responders like Vega and Torres. These aren't soldiers or police officers—they're medical professionals who've become unwitting chroniclers of a civil war.

Their daily routine involves navigating active crime scenes, treating victims of torture, and working in a city where the sound of gunfire has become background noise. When paramedics start sounding like war correspondents, you know a society has crossed a dangerous threshold.