Mexico Travel Chaos After Cartel Violence: India, US, And Canada Warn Tourists Amid Violence

On February 22, 2026, El Mencho (also known as Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes), the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed by the Mexican army while they were conducting a security operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco. His death created immediate violence from the cartels against the government and their respective communities throughout Mexico. Cartel loyalists committed several violent retaliatory acts across the country, including the burning of vehicles on roadways, attacking businesses, and erecting roadblocks in several states in Mexico, including Jalisco, Michoacán and Guanajuato. Reports of gunfire and explosions occurred within some of the major tourist cities in Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, creating panic amongst the residents and tourists who were visiting the area due to the cartel violence created by the death of El Mencho.