After killing of top drug lord, cartels use fake news to spread fear in Mexico


A newspaper seller arranges newspapers reporting the wave of violence in Mexico, following the killing of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as 'El Mencho', in a military operation on Sunday, in Mexico City, Mexico, February 23, 2026. REUTERS/Quetzalli Nicte-Ha

MONTERREY, Mexico, Feb 24 (Reuters) - ⁠After Mexican forces killed the country's most wanted cartel leader on Sunday, false accounts of spectacular violence swept across social media, fueled by ⁠what researchers say was a coordinated propaganda campaign by organized crime.

Unrest did indeed break out in many parts of Mexico as loyalists ‌to El Mencho, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, set up roadblocks, torched buses and stores, and attacked gas stations in retaliation for his slaying.

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