Multiple Cartel Wars Rage in Mexico as New Boss Fausto Isidro Meza Flores Rises

Multiple violent conflicts are unfolding simultaneously across several Mexican states, creating widespread instability. In Jalisco, fighting between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and federal forces has turned parts of the region into what authorities describe as an active warzone, with roadblocks and airport closures reported.

In Sinaloa, clashes between Los Chapitos and the faction led by Ismael “Mayito Flaco” Zambada have produced sustained high-intensity violence, including near-daily shootouts in Culiacán.

This surge in violence began on February 22, 2026, when Mexican security forces killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, head of CJNG, during a military operation in Tapalpa. He was wounded in a firefight with soldiers and died during the raid.

The operation, carried out by Mexican special forces with air force and intelligence support and aided by U.S. information, also left several alleged associates dead and others arrested. Authorities seized heavy weapons, including rocket launchers, and armored vehicles; Mexican personnel were also injured. Oseguera, born in Michoacán in 1966, had previously lived in the United States, where he was convicted in 1994 of heroin-distribution conspiracy and served three years in prison. After returning to Mexico, he resumed criminal activity and co-founded CJNG around 2007 from remnants of the Milenio Cartel. He consolidated control through alliances, including ties to the Los Cuinis network that handled finances and logistics.

Under his leadership, CJNG expanded across Mexico and became a major player in the global drug trade, trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl and maintaining links to precursor suppliers in China. The group has been tied to assassinations of officials and rivals, attacks on security forces, and the 2015 downing of a military helicopter. Operating in more than 40 countries, it was designated a terrorist organization by the United States in February 2025.

Oseguera’s death triggered coordinated retaliation across multiple states, including Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Nayarit, Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, Guerrero, and Zacatecas. Gunmen erected burning-vehicle roadblocks, shut highways, and attacked infrastructure, spreading panic in cities such as Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. In Guanajuato, businesses and banks were set ablaze, while in Michoacán clashes between CJNG and local self-defense groups intensified. Authorities suspended public transport, canceled school in several areas, and urged residents to remain indoors. Airlines from the United States and Canada halted flights to affected destinations, and both governments issued travel warnings.

Analysts note that CJNG’s decentralized, franchise-like structure makes a rapid collapse unlikely. With no clear successor, internal power struggles could emerge, as past removals of cartel leaders have often led to replacements while trafficking continued. Oseguera’s death may further destabilize the organization and shift alliances.

One potential beneficiary is Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, known as “El Chapo Isidro.” A former lieutenant in the Beltrán Leyva Organization, he has spent the past year expanding the Guasave Cartel from a regional group into a broader power base. Analysts assessed in January 2026 that he had evolved into a national-level actor. In May 2025 he formed an alliance with Mayito Flaco, combining his military wing with the Mayiza faction’s logistics. To counter this bloc, Los Chapitos aligned with CJNG in mid-2025, with Oseguera reportedly sending gunmen into Sinaloa to support the Guzmán faction. His death is expected to weaken that arrangement as CJNG leaders focus on internal control, potentially leaving Los Chapitos isolated while Meza Flores and Mayito Flaco consolidate influence in the Golden Triangle region.

The Sinaloa conflict, which began September 9, 2024, has lasted about 17 months and left more than 4,000 people killed or disappeared. Meza Flores controls the Guasave region and has expanded operations into Sonora and Nayarit.

On February 4, 2025, the FBI added Meza Flores to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. He was first indicted in 2012 in U.S. federal court in Washington, D.C., with a 2019 superseding indictment charging drug-trafficking and firearm offenses tied to alleged cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana distribution in the United States from 2005 to 2019. The U.S. State Department is offering up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

The 42-year-old Mexican national is believed to be in Mexico and considered armed, dangerous, and an international flight risk. His case forms part of broader efforts by Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces to dismantle major trafficking networks. Experts emphasize that weakening such groups requires sustained pressure on their infrastructure, finances, and logistics.