Key Facts
- El General killed. Federal forces killed El General, an alleged cartel boss, in Naucalpan near Mexico City on 5 November; two died.
- US sanction. The US Treasury sanctioned him on 19 November 2025 over alleged protection of Ryan James Wedding.
- Pemex fire. One worker died and three were burned in a fire on a pipeline of state oil company Pemex in Jalisco on 5 November.
- Court strike. Federal court staff began an indefinite strike on 6 November in at least 16 states.
- Exam plan. The judiciary’s administration office, the OAJ, says the first December evaluations are diagnostic, with no dismissals.
- Power Index. Mexico ranks 2nd of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 70.8 points (November 2026 edition).
Mexican federal forces killed the alleged cartel leader known as El General near Mexico City on 5 November, while a deadly fire on a pipeline of the state oil company Pemex and a national court-staff strike tested other state institutions.
In Plain English
- El General: Édgar Aarón Vázquez Alvarado, alleged founder and leader of the Cártel Nuevo Imperio, killed on 5 November 2026.
- Omar García Harfuch: Mexico’s federal Security Secretary, who announced the operation on X and leads the ministry whose agents were fired on.
- Pemex: Petróleos Mexicanos, Mexico’s state-owned oil company, which operates the pipeline where the fire broke out.
- OAJ: The Órgano de Administración Judicial, the body that handles administration for Mexico’s federal judiciary and wrote the new evaluation rules.
How Federal Forces Killed El General Near Mexico City
Federal forces killed Édgar Aarón Vázquez Alvarado, known as El General, on Thursday 5 November 2026, and two people died in the shootout. The operation took place in Naucalpan de Juárez, a city in the State of Mexico next to Mexico City.
Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch, the federal minister in charge of policing, said federal agents were carrying out operations at properties when occupants opened fire, and the man died as agents returned fire. Reports differ on whether officers held an arrest warrant or property search orders.
Authorities describe him as founder and leader of the Cártel Nuevo Imperio. They say it operates in the State of Mexico, Morelos and Mexico City.
He was under investigation for kidnapping, extortion, homicide, money laundering, fuel theft and drug trafficking to the US and Canada. None of these allegations has been tested in court.
Harfuch said investigators regard him as the mastermind of the July 2024 killing of Milton Morales Figueroa, a Mexico City police commander close to Harfuch. Morales was shot dead while off duty outside a chicken shop in Coacalco, State of Mexico.
The US Treasury sanctioned him on 19 November 2025 for allegedly protecting Ryan James Wedding, a Canadian former Olympic snowboarder accused of drug trafficking. It said he used police contacts to locate targets and blocked three of his companies.
What We Know About the Pemex Pipeline Fire in Jalisco
A fire on a Pemex pipeline in Tototlán, Jalisco, left one worker dead and three others burned on the evening of Thursday 5 November 2026. Pemex is Mexico’s state oil company, and the line runs between Salamanca and Guadalajara.
Workers were cleaning and removing sediment from the line at kilometre 1 of the Tototlán–Ocotlán highway when the fire started. Some outlets describe an explosion, while others report only a fire.
Pemex confirmed the death of employee Fernanda Sierra Ramírez, who had burns over more than 90% of her body. She died on Friday 6 November.
Three other workers were burned, and their names and conditions have not been published. Reports differ on whether all three went to a private hospital or one was treated at the scene.
Pemex activated its emergency response plan and says the fire is out and posed no risk to the population. Federal prosecutors in Jalisco are investigating the cause.
The cause is still under investigation.
Why Mexico’s Court Staff Are on Strike Over Job Reviews
Federal court staff began an indefinite national work stoppage on Friday 6 November 2026 against a new performance-evaluation scheme. The Órgano de Administración Judicial (OAJ), the body that handles administration for the federal judiciary, published the rules in the official gazette on 5 November.
Staff chained the entrances of a judicial building in Mexico City and set up a sit-in, saying they would keep it blocked indefinitely. Reports put the protests in at least 16 or 17 federal entities, and sources differ on the exact count.
The general provisions reportedly allow dismissal for those who score 59 or below. Workers say the theory exam is only 40% of the grade, with the rest depending on supervisors or colleagues.
The OAJ says the December evaluations will bring no dismissals or loss of positions. It says the first round is diagnostic only, aimed at identifying training needs, and that it respects the right to protest.
Workers say they do not oppose evaluation but want tests used for training rather than to justify dismissals or transfers.
What Links These Stories
The three stories show Mexican federal institutions under scrutiny in the same 48 hours: a security ministry, a state oil company and the judiciary’s workforce. Each turns on accountability when the state acts, whether by force, by maintenance work or by examination.
The Security Ministry gains a public result in the Morales case, yet the second dead man is unconfirmed and two suspects in that case remain at large. Pemex and the court administration face open questions until the cause of the fire and the exam rules are settled.
The reports behind this Big Read
What It Means for US Readers
The US Treasury sanctioned El General in November 2025, and Washington has pursued the network around Ryan James Wedding. No US government reaction to his death had been reported in the sources reviewed.
Companies with cases before Mexican federal courts should check whether hearings are affected by a national stoppage that has no end date. The Pemex fire has no reported effect beyond the site, and investigators have yet to name a cause.
What to Watch Next
No settlement had been announced by 7 November. The first evaluations are due in December, and sources give differing dates.
Pemex has said it will work with investigators on the Jalisco fire, and prosecutors have not said when they expect findings. Any official identification of the second man killed in Naucalpan would also clarify the case.
What Is Not Known
Sources disagree on the legal basis of the Naucalpan operation, with officials citing an arrest warrant and other reports citing property searches. The identity of the second dead man has not been officially confirmed.
The cause of the Jalisco fire is unknown, and sources differ on whether there was an explosion. Exam dates in December also differ between reports.
Sources
Mexican press report on the operation against the Cártel Nuevo Imperio leader · Mexican press timeline of the Milton Morales case and the Naucalpan operation · Mexican press report on the federal investigation of the Pemex pipeline fire
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was El General?
Édgar Aarón Vázquez Alvarado, alleged founder and leader of the Cártel Nuevo Imperio, which authorities say operates in the State of Mexico, Morelos and Mexico City. The allegations have not been proven in court.
What caused the Pemex pipeline fire in Jalisco?
The cause is not established. Investigators are still working on it, and sources differ on whether there was an explosion.
Why are Mexican federal court workers on strike?
They oppose a new performance-evaluation scheme published on 5 November 2026. They say it could lead to dismissals, while the OAJ says the first round is diagnostic only.