Cartel gunmen killed 42 Mexican soldiers and police in coordinated attacks across Mexico between 12:45 PM and 1:45 PM UTC on February 23, 2026, according to a breaking report by PamphletsY on X. The assaults occurred amid fallout from the earlier raid killing CJNG leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, El Mencho. The attacks represent a sharp escalation in violence following the Mexican military operation supported by U.S. intelligence, which also resulted in the death of CJNG figure Rubén Guerrero Valadez, as confirmed in prior statements by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. This period's incidents build on unrest in Puerto Vallarta and Jalisco areas, including a Costco store fire and multiple arrests reported earlier that morning. Mexican security forces faced direct assaults during the one-hour reporting window, with the 42 deaths reported by PamphletsY on X at approximately 1:30 PM UTC. No immediate official Mexican government statement has confirmed the exact figure or locations of the attacks as of 1:45 PM UTC.
