Anti-Cartel Operation Sparks Blockades, Freight Alerts

After the federal operation against “El Mencho,” road blockades and vehicle burnings disrupted key freight corridors. Business chambers and Overhaul issued safety alerts before President Claudia Sheinbaum said highways had been cleared by Monday morning.

A federal operation against Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (“El Mencho”), leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), sparked retaliatory blockades and vehicle burnings across several states, disrupting mobility on strategic highways and raising immediate concerns for freight, supply chains and business continuity. Mexico’s leading transport and business chambers responded with safety guidance, while Overhaul flagged corridor-level logistics risks before President Claudia Sheinbaum said federal highways had been cleared by Monday morning.

CANACAR, Mexico’s national freight trucking chamber, frames the situation first and foremost as a driver safety issue. In its Feb. 22 statement, the chamber said it was deeply concerned by violent incidents on highways in several states and urged freight operators to prioritize their physical safety by sheltering in secure areas or returning to their operating yards until conditions normalized and circulation could be guaranteed. CANACAR also stressed that highways are the operational backbone of road freight and warned that prolonged disruptions would directly affect the supply of food, medicines, fuels, industrial inputs, and other essential goods.

In the statement, CANACAR insisted that the rule of law and real security conditions on transport routes must prevail to protect freight movement.

Other major business organizations echoed the call for caution. CONCANACO SERVYTUR publicly backed institutional coordination on security and urged businesses and citizens to rely exclusively on official communications from competent authorities. In its Feb. 22 press release, the confederation emphasized that public peace protects both families and daily work, and said verified information and responsible public communication are essential in moments of tension. It also said it would maintain territorial coordination with affiliated chambers to help circulate verified information and support decision-making on the ground. 

COPARMEX’s statement focused on worker safety, mobility and economic continuity. In its statement dated Feb. 22, the employers’ confederation recognized the work of the Armed Forces, the Security Cabinet and all levels of government, and called for roads, highways, commercial zones, and workplaces to be protected so mobility and regional economic activity could continue. COPARMEX also urged stronger institutional presence and preventive actions, while noting that companies would evaluate conditions locally based on official information and the reality in each locality. 

Overhaul provided a private-sector operational alert stating that the unrest was not directly tied to cargo-focused criminal activity, but the firm warned that cargo criminals could exploit the disruption environment. Overhaul said it was monitoring the situation in real time and flagged disruptions affecting national and international logistics operations.

The alert on Feb. 22 identified intermittent blockades and burned vehicles on: 

• Guadalajara–Tepic highway (MEX-15D)

• Limited traffic on the Guadalajara–Colima corridor (MEX-80/MEX-54)

• Reduced access options into Puerto Vallarta, including routes near the airport 

• It also flagged disruptions in Veracruz (Alamo–Tihuatlan and Alamo–Potrero del Llano), 

• Puebla (MEX-150D and Puebla–Orizaba routes), 

• Queretaro, including the Mexico-Queretaro corridor (MEX-57D)

• Intermittent closures in the Palmillas area toward Guanajuato

Overhaul’s incident reports describe a patchwork of disruptions across key corridors. Burned vehicles, improvised road blockades, security inspections and intermittent lane reductions meant some routes were still passable, but with slower transit times, operational risk, and limited predictability for freight planning.

Overhaul forecasts that, in the short term (24–72 hours), highways and urban access roads will likely experience increased military and federal presence and intermittent retaliatory blockades by criminal cells, immediately impacting land freight transport, especially across industrial corridors in the Bajio, western, and Gulf regions. In the medium term (3–10 days), the company projects internal reconfiguration of criminal structures, potential disputes around logistics nodes such as ports, toll highways, and interstate intersections, and a gradual restoration of transit under reinforced federal supervision. The firm recommends that companies review route conditions before dispatching trucks for the next 72 hours, consider holding shipments in affected areas on Monday, Feb. 23, and implement protocols for shipments caught in blockades.

By Monday morning, however, the federal government’s public message had shifted toward normalization. President Claudia Sheinbaum said during her Feb. 23 morning press conference that federal highways were free of blockades and operating normally, while noting that the command center would remain active for monitoring. Sheinbaum described some flight suspensions, particularly to Puerto Vallarta, as preventive decisions by airlines and said operations were expected to be restored.