Feb. 22, 2026, 6:20 PM EST

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation CartelNemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes,”https://apnews.com/article/el-mencho-justice-department-drug-cartels-cjng-73b539b8029c793fbd995a357b57f25f”>“El Mencho,” on Sunday, decapitating what had become Mexico’s most powerful cartel and giving the government its biggest prize yet to show the Trump administration its efforts.

Oseguera Cervantes was wounded in an operation to capture him Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco about a two-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara and he died while being flown to Mexico City, the Defense Department said in a statement. The state is the base of the cartel known for trafficking huge quantities of fentanyl and other drugs to the United States.

During the operation, troops came under fire and killed four people at the location. Three more people, including Oseguera Cervantes,were wounded and later died, the statement said. Two others were arrested and armored vehicles, rocket launchers and other arms were seized. Three members of the armed forces were wounded and receiving medical treatment.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico said on X that the operation was carried out by Mexican special forces “within the framework of bilateral cooperation, with U.S. authorities providing complementary intelligence.”

Roadblocks and burning vehicles

The killing of the powerful drug lord set off several hours of roadblocks with burning vehicles in Jalisco and other states. Such tactics are commonly used by the cartels to block military operations. Jalisco canceled school in the state for Monday.

Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing over the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, and people sprinting through the airport of the state’s capital in panic. On Sunday afternoon, Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to Puerto Vallarta “due to an ongoing security situation” and advised customers not to go to their airport.

In Guadalajara, the state capital, burning vehicles blocked roads. Mexico’s second-largest city is scheduled to host matches during this summer’s soccer World Cup.

The U.S. State Department warned U.S. citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon states to remain in safe places due to the ongoing security operations. Canada’s embassy in Mexico warned its citizens in Puerto Vallarta to shelter in place and generally to keep a low profile in Jalisco.

Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus told residents to stay at home and suspended public transportation.

US had offered up to $15 million for his capture

The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel,known as CJNG, is one of the most powerful and fastest growing criminal organizations in Mexico and was born in 2009.

In February, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, like her predecessor, has criticized the “kingpin” strategy of previous administrations that took out cartel leaders only to trigger explosions of violence as cartels fractured. While she has remained popular in Mexico, security is a persistent concern and since U.S. President Donald Trump took office a year ago, she has been under tremendous pressure to show results against drug trafficking.

On Sunday, Sheinbaum applauded Mexican security forces and called for calm in a post on X.

A Jalisco state official who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly said that a member of the National Guard died in Tapalpa during the operation, a jail guard was killed at a lockup in Puerto Vallarta when prisoners rioted, and an agent from the Jalisco state prosecutor’s office was killed in Guadalajara. Details were not immediately available.

Known as an aggressive cartel

The Jalisco cartel has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks on the military — including on helicopters — and is a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines. In 2020, it carried out a spectacular assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then head of the capital’s police force and now federal security secretary.

The DEA considers the cartel to be as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico’s most infamous criminal groups, with a presence in all 50 U.S. states. It is one of the main suppliers of cocaine to the U.S. market and, like the Sinaloa cartel, earns billions from the production of fentanyl and methamphetamines. Sinaloa, however, has been weakened by infighting after the loss of its leaders Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, both in U.S. custody.

Oseguera Cervantes, 59, was originally from Aguililla in the neighboring state of Michoacan. He had been significantly involved in drug trafficking activities since the 1990s. When he was younger, he migrated to the U.S. where he was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 1994 and served nearly three years in prison.

Following his release from custody, Oseguera Cervantes returned to Mexico and reengaged in drug trafficking activity with drug lord Ignacio Coronel Villarreal, alias “Nacho Coronel.” After Villarreal’s death, Oseguera Cervantes and Erik Valencia Salazar, alias “El 85,” created the Jalisco New Generation Cartel around 2007.

Initially, they worked for the Sinaloa Cartel, but eventually split and for years the two cartels have battled for territory across Mexico.

Indicted several times in the United States

Since 2017, Oseguera Cervantes has been indicted several times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

The most recent superseding indictment, filed on April 5, 2022, charges Oseguera Cervantes with conspiracy and distribution of controlled substances (methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl) for the purpose of illegal importation into the United States and use of firearms during and in connection with drug trafficking offenses. Oseguera Cervantes is also charged under the Drug Kingpin Enforcement Act for directing a continuing criminal enterprise.

Last year, people searching for missing relativesfounds piles of shoes and other clothing, as well as bone fragments at what authorities later said was a Jalisco cartel recruitment and training site.

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Associated Press writer María Verza contributed to this report.

Feb. 22, 2026, 4:45 PM EST

A man was fatally shot early Sunday morning after Secret Service agents and a local law enforcement officer opened fire on him for trespassing at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, federal and local officials said.

The man, whom the FBI later identified as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of Moore County, North Carolina, was shot at by Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy, the Secret Service said. The agency said he appeared to be carrying a shotgun and a fuel can near the resort’s front gate.

Two Secret Service agents and a sheriff’s deputy opened fire on the intruder about 20 yards from the gate after he refused multiple orders to drop his gun and gas can, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the situation.

Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago overnight. He was at the White House hosting an annual dinner for the nation’s governors.

“In the middle of the night while most Americans were asleep, the United States Secret Service acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded President Trump’s home,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Sunday.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement on X Sunday that the FBI is “dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation of this morning’s incident at President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago – where an armed individual was shot and killed after unlawfully entering the perimeter.”

“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with them, at which point he put down the gas can and raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said in a news conference on Sunday. Bradshaw said the intruder was shot after being told to drop the weapon.

The FBI is investigating Martin’s background and potential motives, officials said. Local residents have been asked to check their security camera footage in case they see anything suspicious related to the incident.

The Secret Service said the agents involved have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Marc Santia and Emily Hung contributed to this report.

Erum Salam is breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian and is a graduate of Texas A&M University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Follow her on X, Bluesky and Instagram.

Feb. 22, 2026, 4:16 PM EST

Team USA has broken its record for most gold medals won at a Winter Olympics, extending its mojo with a thrilling men’s hockey victory over Canada on Sunday. The U.S. finished in second place in the overall medal count on the final day of the 2026 Winter Games.

The United States is second only to Norway, which counts 18 gold medals in the Milan Cortina Games. Freestyle skiers Christopher Lillis, Connor Curran and Kaila Kuhn, secured Team USA’s record-breaking 11th medal in mixed team aerials on Saturday, beating Switzerland, which won silver, and China, which took the bronze. The victory means the U.S. has broken its previous record of 10 gold medals set during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

But the wins didn’t stop there.

The U.S. men’s ice hockey team on Sunday earned its third Olympic gold medal ever when Jack Hughes scored the overtime golden goal, beating Canada 2-1 and winning the team’s first gold in 46 years. The last gold was won in the famous “Miracle on Ice” game in 1980 in Lace Placid, New York.

President Donald Trump spoke by phone with members of the men’s hockey team following their historic victory, according to a White House official. And FBI Director Kash Patel, an avid hockey fan who flew to the winter Olympics in Italy on the FBI’s Gulfstream jet to watch the game, celebrated with the gold medalists in their locker room.

The men’s team’s result mirrors that of the U.S. women’s ice hockey team, which also dominated Canada 2-1 in overtime on Thursday. Megan Keller scored the winning goal.

The White House responded to the country’s victories by posting a picture of an American bald eagle landing on the back of a Canadian goose. It was a direct response to a 2025 post by former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who wrote: “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.” He was referring to President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Canada.

Other notable winners at this year’s Winter Olympics include 20-year-old figure skater Alysa Liu, who captivated judges and a global audience with her joyful comeback routineearning her gold in the women’s single category. Liu — making a comeback from a two-year break — also made history by becoming the first American woman to win an individual Olympic medal in women’s figure skating since 2006, and the first to win gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002.

Erum Salam is breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian and is a graduate of Texas A&M University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Follow her on X, Bluesky and Instagram.