Does an authentic picture show a plane on fire, a purported retaliation following the Feb. 22, 2026 killing of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader in Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico? No, that's not true: An AI-generated content detector concluded that it was 93.2% certain the image was created by an artificial intelligence tool. At the time this was published, authorities in Mexico and other countries had not reported attacks on commercial airliners among the retaliations for the Army's killing of the cartel's leader.
The claim appeared on an X post (archived here) on Feb. 22, 2026. It opened:
Will this finally make them accept that drug traffickers are terrorists?
This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing:
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of X)
Lead Stories found several characteristics in the image that point to it being AI-generated. These include unrecognizable language on the passenger boarding stairs, a person standing casually in close proximity to the fire, and inconsistent windows in the plane. Those are common problems, with AI-tools generating made-up letters on common signage and rendering aircraft windows unlike any seen on aircraft currently in use. The person standing under the wings, where fuel is typically stored, and within a few feet of the burning aircraft is also the kind of illogical addition for which generative AI is known. Even if the heat of the inferno did not incinerate that person, it's unlikely they would stand there watching.
(Image source: X screenshot taken/highlighted by Lead Stories)
When Lead Stories ran the image through the Hive Moderation AI-generated content detection (archived here), it concluded:
93.2% Likely to be an AI-Generated Image
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of Hive Moderation report.)
On the morning of Feb. 22, 2026, the National Secretary of Defense of Mexico confirmed (archived here) that during an operation, four members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) were killed, including Ruben 'N' (alias) "Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, the organization's leader:
During this operation, military personnel were attacked, and in defense of their integrity they repelled the aggression, resulting in four members of the "CJNG" criminal group being killed at the scene and three seriously wounded, who lost their lives during their transfer by air to Mexico City; among the latter is Ruben "N" (alias) Mencho, however, the corresponding authorities will be in charge of the forensic activities for his identification.
Following the announcement, retaliatory violence erupted, with buses being burned and roads to and from several airports blocked. Mexico's Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) reported on Feb. 22, 2026, that, despite some flights being diverted due to airline protocols, airports are operating normally and coordination is being maintained to ensure safety (archived here); however, there is no mention of attacks targeting airplanes within any airport:
The Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) reports that, due to events this morning in the vicinity of the Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, and Tepic airports, some international airlines bound for Puerto Vallarta Airport diverted their flights in accordance with their internal protocols. However:
- The airports continue to operate normally.
- There is inter-institutional coordination and collaboration with the various security agencies to guarantee the safety of operations and all users.
- The Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) at each airport are operating in accordance with their established protocols.
