February 22, 2026

Cartel boss down, comments on fire

Mexican Forces Kill Nation's Most-Wanted Cartel Boss

Internet cheers, side‑eyes and doomposts as ‘El Mencho’ is killed in Mexico cartel showdown

TLDR: Mexico says it has killed “El Mencho,” the country’s top cartel boss, but the online crowd isn’t buying this as a happy ending. Commenters warn it’s just violent whack‑a‑mole, predicting brutal retaliation, new leaders, and accusing governments of chasing headlines instead of fixing the drug war.

Mexico just announced that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a.k.a. “El Mencho”, the ruthless boss of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, is dead – but online, the celebration is immediately drowned out by chaos, skepticism and pure doomposting. While headlines scream “most‑wanted cartel boss killed,” one commenter deadpans that he’s only the “Most-Wanted Cartel Boss so far,” turning a grim newsflash into a dark meme about how another leader always pops up.

People claiming to be in tourist hotspot Puerto Vallarta are posting that the city is “on fire” with violence videos flooding their feeds, turning the story from distant headline to real‑time war zone. But the loudest voices aren’t cheering the government; they’re roasting it. One camp calls this “whack-a-mole with extra blood,” arguing that as long as the U.S. buys drugs and Mexico stays poor, new cartels will rise before the body is cold. Another blames governments for chasing flashy kills instead of fixing the system, saying the cartels and politicians both love “showy executions” more than real solutions.

On the conspiracy side, some users point out that if the U.S. had done a Hollywood-style Escobar hunt, we’d never stop hearing about it – implying this takedown might be messier, smaller, or not the full story. The mood: one part action movie, two parts "nothing will change," with memes, fear, and cynicism fighting for top comment.

Key Points

  • The Mexican government announced that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” has been killed.
  • El Mencho was the longtime leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, described as one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal groups.
  • He was widely regarded as one of the country’s most violent criminal figures.
  • Under his leadership, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel rapidly expanded over the past decade and became known for brazen attacks on security forces and terrorizing communities.
  • The specific details and circumstances of his death had not been disclosed at the time of publication.

Hottest takes

“Most-Wanted Cartel Boss so far” — foogazi
“It is basically whack-a-mole… you will just get three just as nasty ones in its place” — tibbydudeza
“Prioritizing showy executions over actual progress, words that should describe the cartels, not the government” — JasonADrury
Made with <3 by @siedrix and @shesho from CDMX. Powered by Forge&Hive.