El Mencho Killing Sparks Cartel Propaganda

Following the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, by Mexican forces, widespread unrest and a coordinated online propaganda campaign swept across Mexico. Loyalists of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel set up roadblocks, torched vehicles, and attacked gas stations. Simultaneously, false reports of spectacular violence, including a seized Guadalajara airport and burning planes, proliferated on social media. Experts, including Jane Esberg from the University of Pennsylvania and Pablo Calderon from Northeastern University – London, suggest this misinformation campaign, potentially amplified by AI-generated content and 'narco influencers,' was orchestrated by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel to make their retaliatory violence appear more terrifying and to challenge the Mexican government's control. Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch and President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed authorities are investigating and working to refute the fake news.