President Claudia Sheinbaum's approval reached 72 percent in February 2026, according to an El Financiero survey, boosted by the operation against Nemesio Oseguera, alias 'El Mencho', in Jalisco. The poll showed an eight-point increase after the February 22 action, in which the leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación was killed. Most respondents supported the operation and cooperation with the United States.
An El Financiero national survey revealed that President Claudia Sheinbaum's approval rose to 72 percent in February 2026, three points higher than in January. The phone poll of 1,300 adults across Mexico's 32 states included 900 interviews from February 13 to 21, before the operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, and 400 from February 24 to 27, after it. Approval stood at 68 percent before the action and climbed to 76 percent afterward.
The February 22 operation led to the death of Nemesio Oseguera, known as 'El Mencho', leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). Federal authorities located him on February 20 in a property in Tatalpa, Jalisco, after months of tracking. Severely wounded in the confrontation, he died en route to a hospital in Mexico City. The operation relied on intelligence from the United States, and 'El Mencho's body was handed over to his family, viewed, and buried in the Panteón Recinto de la Paz in Zapopan.
Eighty-two percent of respondents rated the operation as good or very good, and 58 percent viewed U.S. cooperation favorably. A majority of 77 percent believed the government's actions are correct to enforce order and law, while 21 percent saw them as a mistake due to violence. Additionally, 81 percent considered it an advance in security policy, though 76 percent anticipate more acts of violence from organized crime.
In specific evaluations, Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch received 81 percent positive opinions, and Defense Secretary General Ricardo Trevilla got 74 percent. The Army was the highest rated at 88 percent, followed by the National Guard and Navy, both at 85 percent. Regarding the 25 National Guard deaths in the operation, 58 percent expressed gratitude or pride, and 40 percent anger or outrage.
Other indicators showed gains: favorable views on the economy rose from 48 to 56 percent, on public security from 40 to 45 percent, and on handling organized crime from 16 to 17 percent, with a jump from 12 to 24 points before and after the operation. Corruption assessment remained steady, from 17 to 16 percent. The poll's margin of error is +/-2.7 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
