Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the deadly fallout of a Mexican cartel leader’s killing, upcoming US-Iran nuclear talks, and International Criminal Court pretrial hearings for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
Retaliatory Attacks
Mexican authorities are rushing to restore order after the killing of a notorious cartel leader by the country’s special forces on Sunday sparked one of the most widespread eruptions of violence in the nation’s recent history. At least 62 people have been killed thus far—including 25 members of Mexico’s National Guard—as cartel members block roads and set fire to vehicles in retaliation for the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the deadly fallout of a Mexican cartel leader’s killing, upcoming US-Iran nuclear talks, and International Criminal Court pretrial hearings for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
Retaliatory Attacks
Mexican authorities are rushing to restore order after the killing of a notorious cartel leader by the country’s special forces on Sunday sparked one of the most widespread eruptions of violence in the nation’s recent history. At least 62 people have been killed thus far—including 25 members of Mexico’s National Guard—as cartel members block roads and set fire to vehicles in retaliation for the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
CJNG is considered one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico. A breakaway gang of the country’s powerful Sinaloa cartel, it is known for trafficking fentanyl, cocaine, and other illicit narcotics into the United States and for carrying out brazen attacks against Mexican officials. In December 2024, the U.S. State Department offered a reward of up to $15 million for information that could aid in the arrest of Oseguera Cervantes, and in February 2025, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.
Early Sunday morning, Mexican special forces tracked down Oseguera Cervantes (known as “El Mencho”) at his hideout in the town of Tapalpa. According to Mexican Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, Oseguera Cervantes was severely injured during the attempt to capture him and ultimately died from his injuries while en route to Mexico City. His death marks the highest-profile blow against cartels since the recapture of former Sinaloa boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán in 2016.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has been under mounting pressure from the White House to tackle the country’s vast cartel network. “Mexico must step up their effort on Cartels and Drugs!” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday. He has previously imposed tariffs and threatened military intervention if Mexico City fails to adequately counter fentanyl trafficking across the two countries’ shared border. Trejo confirmed on Monday that the United States provided intelligence support for Sunday’s operation against Oseguera Cervantes.
On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote that Trump’s objectives have always been very clear. “[T]he United States will ensure narcoterrorists sending deadly drugs to our homeland are forced to face the wrath of justice they have long deserved,” she posted on X.
But while she added that the Trump administration “commends and thanks” Mexico’s military for its operation, local authorities are still scrambling to quell the fallout. Several Mexican states canceled school on Monday as local governments warned residents to stay inside. More than 1,000 people were trapped overnight at the Guadalajara Zoo due to the violence. And the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City warned personnel in eight cities and the state of Michoacán to shelter in place, telling U.S. citizens in many parts of the country to do the same.
“[W]e must remain informed and calm,” Sheinbaum posted on Sunday. “We work every day for peace, security, justice, and the well-being of Mexico.”
Today’s Most Read
The World This Week
Tuesday, Feb. 24: The Russia-Ukraine war marks its four-year anniversary.
The United States halts collection of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
The Caribbean Community begins a four-day leaders’ summit in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
European Union foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas hosts Board of Peace chief Nickolay Mladenov.
Wednesday, Feb. 25: The United States and Mauritius conclude three days of discussions concerning control of the Chagos Islands.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a two-day trip to Israel.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz begins a two-day trip to China.
What We’re Following
Upcoming nuclear talks. U.S. and Iranian officials are set to hold another round of nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday. But as anti-regime protests reemerge across Iran and Trump doubles down on his threat of military intervention if no progress is made in the nuclear negotiations, it remains unclear whether the two nations will strike a deal—or go to war.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Sunday that Tehran is prepared to make concessions on its nuclear program, including to potentially send half of its most highly enriched uranium abroad, if the United States agreed to two things: the lifting of U.S. sanctions and recognizing Iran’s right to enrich uranium. The White House has not commented on this proposal, but oil prices eased on Monday following the news while still remaining at a six-month high in the face of possible U.S. military action.
At the same time, the Financial Times reported on Sunday that Iran agreed to a nearly $590 million deal with Russia in December to purchase thousands of advanced shoulder-fired missiles. Such an agreement marks Tehran’s most significant effort to rebuild its air defenses since its 12-day war with Israel last June, and experts warn that it could threaten future nuclear talks with the United States.
Crimes against humanity. The International Criminal Court (ICC) kicked off five days of pretrial hearings on Monday for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who faces three counts of crimes against humanity for overseeing a deadly anti-drug crackdown. Prosecutors have accused Duterte of ordering police and death squads to carry out dozens of extrajudicial killings, using financial rewards or threats of retaliation as motivation.
It is unclear how many people were killed during Duterte’s brutal “war on drugs,” which officially began in June 2016. Rights activists place estimates as high as 30,000 deaths, though they have also accused current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of continuing the killings.
Duterte has repeatedly denied the charges. The former president “stands behind his legacy resolutely, and he maintains his innocence absolutely,” lead defense lawyer Nick Kaufman told the three-judge ICC panel on Monday. Duterte, 80, has refused to attend the hearings, saying he is “old, tired, and frail,” though judges ruled last month that he is fit to stand trial. He is in custody at The Hague.
The ICC panel now has 60 days to determine whether the prosecution’s evidence is strong enough to warrant putting Duterte on trial.
New tax guidelines. India revised its 33-year-old tax treaty with France on Monday, scrapping the so-called most favored nation clause. Under that provision, if New Delhi were to offer better tax terms to another country, then France would automatically receive the same benefit. Now, though, Paris will only receive the benefits directly written in its contract with New Delhi—providing clarity aimed at resolving the two nations’ long-running tax disputes.
According to the Indian Finance Ministry, the updated treaty provides new dividend tax rates aimed at helping French companies save millions of dollars, and it expands India’s ability to tax specific transactions. The deal also improves guidelines for sharing and collecting tax information between the two countries and adds new rules intended to prevent tax avoidance.
Both nations have recently sought to expand their bilateral cooperation. Just last week, French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi upgraded their countries’ defense ties with a new deal that includes plans to jointly produce Rafale fighter jets and other military aircraft.
Odds and Ends
The final hockey game of the 2026 Olympics may not have had the spice of Heated Rivalrybut it sure had the drama. The U.S. men’s team took home the gold on Sunday in a 2-1 win over Canada, its first gold medal since its 1980 “Miracle on Ice” moment. Center Jack Hughes scored the winning goal in overtime, and his toothless smile drew thunderous applause from fans. But not everyone was thrilled. Shortly after the U.S. victory, an eBay user put an autographed rookie trading card of Hughes up for sale for more than $730,000 with the description: “I hate you, Jack Hughes. You ruined my day. Go Canada !!!!”
