Mexico’s most wanted drug lord ‘El Mencho’ killed in military operation

Published

2 weeks ago

2026/02/23

Priyan

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as 'El Mencho', was leader of the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) drug cartel [BBC]

Mexico’s most wanted man and the leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) drug cartel has been killed during a security operation to arrest him, the defence ministry has said.

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho”, died on Sunday as he was being taken to the capital Mexico City, after being seriously injured in clashes between his supporters and the army.

Four CJNG members were killed in the town of Tapalpa, the central-western Jalisco state. Three army personnel were also injured. The US had given Mexico with information that assisted the operation.

CJNG retaliated by setting cars alight, building roadblocks and attacking security forces in eight states.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo later urged people to remain “calm”.

In a post on X, she wrote that “in most parts of the country, activities are proceeding normally”.

The CJNG cartel – which had its original power base in Jalisco – is now present across Mexico.

El Mencho, a 59-year-old former police officer, ran a vast criminal organisation responsible for trafficking huge quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl into the US.

It had offered a $15m (£11.1m) reward for information leading to El Mencho’s capture.

In a statement, the Mexican defence ministry said the operation was “planned and executed” by the country’s special forces.

Aircraft from the Mexican Air Force and the National Guard were also deployed.

It also said that several armoured vehicles and weapons – including rocket launchers – were seized during the operation.

The US had been providing information to Mexico that assisted its operation, the statement said.

Reuters A bus used as a roadblock by organized crime burns following a federal operation in which a government source said Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, commonly known as "El Mencho," was killed, in Zapopan, Mexico, February 22, 2026. — *A burning bus that appears to have been used as a roadblock by organised crime during the Mexican military’s move against El Mencho [BBC]*

Eyewitnesses have filmed plumes of smoke rising over several cities including Guadalajara – one of the host cities of the forthcoming Fifa World Cup.

In the tourist hotspot of Puerto Vallarta, on the Jalisco coast, potentially thousands of tourists are trapped in the resort around the fighting.

Throughout Sunday, there were reports of gunmen on the streets in Jalisco and elsewhere.

The governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus Navarro, on social media advised residents of the state to adhere to a code red warning and avoid leaving their homes.

He also said that public transport was suspended in the state.

The US Department of State issued a shelter-in-place warning for US citizens in the states of Jalisco, Tamaulipas, as well as some areas in Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon.

Former US ambassador to Mexico and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau described El Mencho on social media as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins.”

He added that El Mencho’s death was “a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world”.

The killing of El Mencho represents a victory for the Mexican president in her fight against the country’s drug cartels.

It also could strengthen her relationship with US President Trump, who often has demanded more progress on security in Mexico.

However, if the security forces can’t bring the situation under control quickly, the Mexican administration’s victory may be overshadowed by the cartel’s violent response.

The Jalisco cartel has gained notoriety since it was formed in about 2010 for a series of attacks on security forces and public officials.

It has downed an army helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade, killed dozens of state officials, and has even been known to hang the bodies of its victims from bridges to intimidate its rivals.

***[BBC]***

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North Korea cancels Pyongyang Marathon for ‘some reasons’

Published

21 hours ago

2026/03/9

Priyan

The annual marathon is usually held in April [BBC]

North Korea has cancelled the Pyongyang marathon for unspecified reasons, a tour agency linked to the event has said.

British-owned Koryo Tours, which describes itself as the official partner of the marathon, said on Monday that it had received notice of the cancellation from North Korea’s athletics association.

A message it attributed to the association said the marathon was being cancelled “due to some reasons”.

The annual event was established in 1981 to celebrate the birth of North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il Sung. The 2026 race was set to take place on 5 April.

The message, purportedly from the North Korea athletics association’s general secretary, thanked “all the Elite Marathoners and Amateur Runners of the world who are interested in Pyongyang International Marathon”.

The message gave no further explanation on what the reasons for the cancellation were.

Koryo Tours said it understood the decision was final and had been taken “at a level above the organisers of the event itself”.

It said it would be seeking clarification on the circumstances surrounding the decision.

The tour company added that neither organisers nor event partners were involved in making the decision, and said it recognised “this announcement will be disappointing to many runners who had already registered or were planning to participate”.

Koryo Tours, based in Beijing, China, offers several marathon packages to foreigners, departing from Beijing, Shanghai and Shenyang.

Packages start from €2,190 ($2,529; £1,894) for 2.5 nights in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, including a marathon place and “highlights” of the capital and tickets were sold out this year, according to the agency’s website.

It said all deposits paid will be returned and runners have the option to retain their deposit for a future event or North Korea tour.

A date for the 2027 marathon has not yet been set.

The event had only returned last year after it was suspended for five consecutive years due to the Covid pandemic.

It is open to both amateur and some professional athletes and offers several race distances – 5km (3.1 miles), 10km (6.2 miles), half marathon (21.1km; 13.1 miles) or full marathon (42.2km; 26.2 miles).

[BBC]

Foreign News

Canadian officials rescue 23 people who floated away on ice sheet

Published

21 hours ago

2026/03/9

Priyan

Twenty-three people have been rescued by helicopter crews in Ontario, Canada, after the ice shelf they were standing on broke, sending the group floating into Lake Huron.

Ontario Provincial Police said on social media that the rescue began around noon (16:00 GMT) on Sunday after “winds and current moved the ice shelf away from shore” approximately 2km (1.2 miles).

The rescue involved two helicopters making multiple trips to pluck people off the shelf as it continued to fracture into more pieces in the Owen Sound, about 200km north-west of Toronto.

One member of the group said that he only realised the ice he was fishing on had detached from shore when he noticed that his GPS showed him moving.

Members of the rescued group described harrowing moments, with several of them becoming partially submerged in the cold waters as they sought out the thickest ice on the floe, or sheet.

“I looked at my GPS. We were moving,” fisherman Kevin Fox wrote, identifying himself on Facebook as one of those who were caught up in the incident. “I turned around and saw waves forming behind us.”

He said that he and several others started running towards a route that they hoped still connected to shore.

Ontario Provincial Police Helicopters seen landing people at a golf course along the water

“We decided to run toward one side of the bay, but when we got there the ice had already separated from shore. We turned and ran the other way, but the ice there was breaking apart too,” he wrote.

Some started phoning their families, said Fox, adding: “It’s something I will never forget – seeing grown men crying while saying goodbye to the people they love.”

Fellow fisherman Alfie How told The Owen Sound Sun Times that they eventually “just sat down as a group and said this could be the end”.

Fox told the paper that the rescue occurred during high wind, and the group was concerned that the helicopters would not be able to fly.

“It was being eroded,” Fox said. “It kept getting smaller, and smaller.”

Police say several members of the group suffered hypothermia, but that everyone was expected to make a full recovery.

“Great teamwork and a quick response by all involved,” police added.

Last month in the US state of Vermont, police rescued a group of ice skaters who had also become trapped on floating ice.

Using kayaks and ferry boats, rescuers brought the group back from the icy Lake Champlain.

Officials warn that ice fishing conditions can change rapidly during the relatively warm daylight hours.

[BBC]

Foreign News

Heavy rains and flooding kills at least 23 in Nairobi

Published

2 days ago

2026/03/8

Priyan

A man looks through the wreckage of private vehicles destroyed following heavy rainfall in the Grogan area of Nairobi [BBC]

At least 23 people have been killed in Nairobi after heavy rain overnight caused severe flooding in Kenya’s capital city.

Police said about 30 people had been rescued but many others drowned after being swept into rivers – some have been electrocuted.

Kenya’s military has been deployed to help people trapped inside their cars as police described widespread damage to properties as well as road closures.

Several flights bound for Nairobi Airport had to be cancelled or diverted to the coastal city of Mombasa.

“The torrential rains have led to significant flooding, unfortunately resulting in 23 fatalities so far, the destruction of property, road closures, and the displacement of residents,” police said in a statement on Saturday afternoon.

[BBC]