Teyah Parent, features editor

Violence has erupted across parts of western Mexico this past week following the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, who is widely known as “El Mencho,” the leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). Mexican authorities report waves of arson and blocked highways in the states of Jalisco and Guerrero. According to BBC News and Reuters, Oseguera Cervantes was killed during a joint Mexican-American military operation targeting cartel leadership in Jalisco. The full operational details have not been publicly released, but early accounts indicate that the raids were part of a federal effort to dismantle CJNG command.

The CJNG has been assigned by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (USDA) as one of the most dangerous and heavily armed criminal organizations operating in Mexico. According to the USDA, they have a presence in multiple states and international trafficking networks. 

“It definitely makes me anxious,” states Ashley Villa, a Mexican student at Augsburg University. “I called my mom right away to tell her not to leave the house because it’s dangerous. I texted my friends to make sure they were okay. Even though this kind of situation is not new to us, it’s still scary to see it happening in your hometown.” 

Villa is from Playa Troncones, a small coastal town in Guerrero. “The closest city with a university is Zihuatanejo. To get there, we take small buses called combis. The combi route to Zihuatanejo was burned, and currently none of the buses are running. People can’t move around, and daily life kinda stops for a few days.” 

Local media outlets in Mexico report multiple vehicles were set ablaze and there are many suspensions of public transit services in parts of Guerrero and Jalisco following the confirmation of Oseguera Cervantes’ death. State authorities are urging residents to stay indoors as police forces work to regain control. 

Villa adds that conversations about cartel violence feel different depending on where they happen. “Sometimes I get frustrated when people in the U.S. who have never lived in Mexico try to explain cartel violence to me. For them, it’s something they read about on Instagram or that they saw in the news. For me, it’s personal—I’ve lived it. I’ve noticed that people in the U.S. worry more than the people who actually live in Mexico. Of course it’s dangerous, and it affects us, but we also know that these situations calm down after a few days. We’ve grown up understanding that it comes in waves. That doesn’t mean it’s normal or okay, but we know how it usually plays out.”

Statistical research from the International Crisis Group in 2023 says that these flare-ups of violence may subside, but the broader structural challenges of organized crime in Mexico will likely remain complex, as the real reductions in violence require sustained institutional reform, economic opportunity and other community strategies. 

For Villa, the headlines are more than a geopolitical analysis or a post on X. They are texts and unanswered calls from home. “It’s hard being so far,” she said, “All I can really do is check my phone and hope everyone I love is safe.”