Mexico is reeling tonight after a wave of coordinated cartel ambushes left 25 National Guard troops dead and more than a dozen wounded in what officials are calling one of the most brutal attacks on security forces in recent years.

The bloodshed began at dawn, when three troop convoys rolled into a rural stronghold of the powerful “Nueva Sierra” cartel. Within minutes, they were hit by roadside bombs, burning roadblocks and heavy gunfire from hilltop positions. Grainy cellphone video shows armored trucks engulfed in flames, and soldiers scrambling for cover as gunmen with military‑grade weapons swept the highway.

Security sources say the assault was deliberate revenge for last week’s arrest and fast‑track extradition of a key cartel lieutenant to the United States. In at least four nearby cities, cartel cells responded by hijacking buses, torching businesses and setting up illegal checkpoints, plunging entire communities into panic. Schools were closed, hospitals went on emergency footing, and residents were urged to stay indoors.

Mexico’s president vowed there would be “no pact with crime”, ordering fresh army deployments, drone surveillance and joint operations with state police. But critics warn that years of militarized strategy have failed to break cartel power, instead turning highways and villages into war zones.

Analysts are now describing a true “reign of terror”: a campaign designed not just to kill, but to send a message that any strike on cartel leadership will be paid for in blood. For families of the fallen troops — and millions living in contested regions — the question is stark: who really controls the territory they call home?