Mexico’s Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (SSPC), led by Secretary Omar García Harfuch, coordinates the federal strategy against drug cartels. Rather than adopting a unilateral “killing” policy, the SSPC operates alongside the military (SEDENA), Navy (SEMAR), and National Guard to neutralize cartel targets through intelligence-driven capture operations, which occasionally result in fatal shootouts when suspects violently resist arrest. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

The most notable recent developments and neutrality operations involving the SSPC and high-level cartel takedowns include:

1. The Killing of “El Mencho” (CJNG)

• The Operation: In February 2026, Mexican special forces, utilizing critical intelligence provided by the U.S. government, launched a dawn raid to capture Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (“El Mencho”), the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). [1, 2]
• The Outcome: El Mencho was critically wounded during a heavy firefight with military commandos at a luxury hideout in Tapalpa, Jalisco. He died while being airlifted to Mexico City. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• The Aftermath: The killing triggered a massive wave of 2026 Mexico cartel unrest, resulting in retaliatory arson, roadblocks, and armed clashes across 20 Mexican states before federal forces restored order. [1, 2]

2. Elimination of Key Regional Hitmen

• “El Tuli”: During the retaliatory violence following El Mencho’s death, his right-hand man, Hugo César Macías Ureña (“El Tuli”), was shot and killed by security forces while attempting to evade arrest. [1]
• “El Topo”: In July 2026, security forces neutralized Miguel “N” (alias “El Topo”), a prominent head of hitmen for a CJNG cell, along with his bodyguard during a targeted confrontation in Manzanillo, Colima.[1]

3. Recent High-Profile Captures & Financial Strikes

The SSPC’s strategic focus heavily emphasizes dismantling cartel leadership and infrastructure through arrests and asset seizures rather than lethal force: [1, 2, 3]

• Audias Flores Silva (“El Jardinero”): Identified as a major successor figure for the CJNG, he was captured by armed forces and placed in preventive prison. [1]
• Justo Aurelio “N”: In July 2026, a joint operation involving the SSPC and SEMAR in Mérida, Yucatán, successfully captured this key logistical and financial operator for the Cártel del Noreste, seizing luxury assets worth over 145 million pesos. [1, 2]
• Janero Van “N”: An American fugitive linked to the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel was arrested in Mazatlán via a joint operation between Mexican authorities and the U.S. DEA. [1, 2]
• Operación Enjambre (Operation Swarm): The SSPC reported that this continuous domestic operation has led to the detention of 60 public officials and local security officers who were actively colluding with or protecting major drug cartels. [1, 2]

Overview of Cabinet Results (As of Mid-2026)

According to official metrics released by the Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana:

• Detentions: Over 59,500 individuals have been arrested for organized crime offenses during the current administration.
• Interdictions: Security forces have seized more than 31,000 firearms and dismantled 2,600 clandestine synthetic drug laboratories. [1, 2]