Panic erupted near Guadalajara International Airport on Sunday after gunfire broke out just outside the terminal, hours after the Government of Mexico confirmed the death of CJNG cartel boss Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera. The confirmation triggered a wave of cartel violence across western Mexico, forcing flight cancellations, diversions, and highway shutdowns as CJNG gunmen torched vehicles and blocked major travel corridors.
Videos posted on social media on Sunday showed passengers in panic after the sound of nearby gunfire was heard. The panic could be seen inside and outside the Guadalajara International Airport.
Chaos erupts at Guadalajara International Airport in Jalisco, Mexico, as the CJNG Cartel launches attacks outside and potentially inside the airport, as retaliation for today’s successful elimination of CJNG leader El Mencho. pic.twitter.com/fspjMASWV1
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 22, 2026
Pánico en aeropuerto de #Guadalajara ante información de bloqueos y balazos en carreteras, NO HAY INCIDENTES DENTRO DEL AEROPUERTO, fue solamente el pánico por alertas que llegaron a los pasajeros. #Pánico #Aeropuerto #Noticias 👮♂️⛔ pic.twitter.com/JKa4G5p2V3
— Alfredo Alvarez (@alfredoalvarez1) February 22, 2026
Airport officials quickly responded that gunfire did not happen inside the airport, but took place outside of airport property.
🔴URGENTE
— News On Demand (@OnDemand_News) February 22, 2026
Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico informó que no se registran hechos de riesgo en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Guadalajara y atribuyó el caos reportado a una “psicosis” generada entre pasajeros.https://t.co/0Z9IVWp0pS pic.twitter.com/jbtzMtIkob
Cartel violence is spreading rapidly across Mexico following the death of El Mencho. CJNG gunmen moved quickly to shutdown highways and set vehicles and buildings on fire.
🚨 BREAKING: Attacks breakout throughout Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco after the Mexican military killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, aka “El Mencho,” the leader of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) pic.twitter.com/qpSqdrCOU3
— Ian Miles Cheong (@ianmiles) February 22, 2026
The violence continued to spread across Mexico on Sunday from the Pacific side to the Gulf of America. Near the Texas border in Tamaulipas, cartel gunmen turned the area into what is described as a “war zone.”
Narcobloqueos del Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) por operativo Federal para detener a uno de sus mandos en Tapalpa, Jalisco, se extendieron a Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Colima y Michoacán, Puerto Vallarta parece zona de guerra (Informacion en el enlace)… pic.twitter.com/S0b0zXXWoS
— Blog del Narco México (@blogdelnarcomex) February 22, 2026
Breitbart Texas’s Brandon Darby and Ildefonso Ortiz reported on the outbreak of violence and the circumstances leading up to El Mencho’s death. The article revealed:
Several top news organizations in Mexico began reporting the death of El Mencho on Sunday morning. The death of the top cartel figure has not been confirmed by Mexico’s government.
Breitbart Texas consulted with key sources within the Mexican government and with various U.S. agencies that are part of the intelligence community, which revealed that the current information and available intelligence point to a strong possibility that Mexican military forces killed the elusive cartel figure. Other information points to an attempt to capture one of his top lieutenants and additional operations aimed at decapitating CJNG.
As violence erupted across the region, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a security alert, warning, “Due to ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity, U.S. citizens in the named locations should shelter in place until further notice.”
If confirmed, the death of El Mencho or the capture of top CJNG figures would strengthen the credibility of Mexico’s efforts to fight drug cartels as requested by the Trump administration. In the past, Mexico had acted against other organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel, the Gulf Cartel, and other smaller cartels — CJNG remained largely untouched.
In the United States, airlines began cancelling flights to certain Mexican airports due to the potential for violence. According to FlightAware.com, multiple flights from Houston, San Antonio, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta were cancelled.
As security forces continue operations across multiple states, officials warn that additional clashes and travel disruptions remain likely in the coming days. The confirmation of El Mencho’s death marks one of the most significant blows ever dealt to CJNG, but the cartel’s rapid and violent response underscores the group’s continued reach and capacity for destabilization. For now, both Mexican authorities and U.S. officials are urging travelers to remain sheltered and avoid affected regions as the full impact of the operation continues to unfold.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
