Mexico is convulsed by violence and political fury after the government confirmed that a top cartel boss was killed in a precision operation guided by U.S. intelligence. The nighttime raid, in the northern state of Tamaulipas, eliminated the elusive leader of the brutal Línea del Norte cartel — and instantly ignited a firestorm on both sides of the border.

Within hours of the announcement, cartel gunmen launched retaliatory attacks in at least six cities, torching buses, blocking highways and opening fire on police stations and army outposts. Viral videos show columns of black smoke rising over major roads and terrified families sheltering on supermarket floors as automatic gunfire echoes outside.

In the capital, thousands poured into the streets for rival demonstrations. Some rallied around the president, praising the operation as a long‑overdue strike against impunity. Others accused him of “selling Mexican sovereignty” by relying on U.S. spies, warning that Washington now holds a veto over Mexico’s security policy. Opposition lawmakers are demanding a full congressional inquiry into the secret cooperation.

U.S. officials, speaking on background, confirm that satellite tracking, intercepted calls and aerial surveillance helped pinpoint the cartel boss’s convoy, but insist Mexican forces “pulled the trigger.” The White House is publicly hailing a “joint success,” even as the State Department updates travel advisories amid fears of wider cartel revenge.

Analysts warn the operation could mark a turning point: either the moment when cross‑border intelligence finally cripples a powerful criminal empire — or the spark that plunges key regions of Mexico into a new, uncontrolled cycle of narco‑warfare.