‘El Mencho,’ the leader of one of Mexico’s most powerful cartels, dead after military operation
By Fidel Gutierrez, Mitchell McCluskey, CNN
Mexico City (CNN) — The leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, was killed on Sunday following an operation led by Mexico’s military, the government announced.
Oseguera, a former police officer, led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, as it became one of the “most powerful and ruthless criminal organizations” inside Mexico, according to the US Drug Enforcement Agency.
Security forces from several federal branches of Mexico’s military carried out the operation in the town of Tapalpa in the western state of Jalisco.
CJNG members traded fire with the government forces, resulting in four gang members being killed at the scene, Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense said.
Osegeura and two others were seriously injured and died as they were being transported via aircraft to Mexico City, according to the secretariat.
Three Mexican military personnel were also injured in the operation and transferred to a hospital in Mexico City for treatment.
The military operation triggered a series of violent events across the state of Jalisco, which is scheduled to host four matches of the 2026 World Cup in June, before spreading to other states such as Michoacán and Guanajuato.
Suspected members of organized crime groups set buses on fire, blocked roads in the area, and clashed with authorities, Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro reported.
During the operation, Lemus urged residents to remain in their homes and said that public transportation services in Jalisco would be suspended “until the situation is under control.”
The governor stated that the violence has spread to at least five states and urged the public to avoid traveling on highways.
The US State Department issued a travel advisory urging US citizens to shelter in place in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Tamaulipas, and Michoacán due to “ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity.
Oseguera was wanted by US authorities, who offered a bounty of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest.
The US Justice Department charged El Mencho in 2022 with leading the effort to manufacture and distribute fentanyl for importation into the US.
A Justice Department indictment of Oseguera said his organization is active in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Colima, and Veracruz, and has a presence elsewhere.
In a post on X, US State Department Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau described Oseguera’s death as a “great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world.”
He added that he is watching the chaotic scenes in Mexico “with great sadness and concern.”
The Michoacán Public Security Secretariat reported that “operational actions are ongoing at various points throughout the state to restore traffic flow in response to road blockades,” resulting from “efforts to capture criminal targets.”
Meanwhile, the Guanajuato Security and Peace Secretariat reported fires at pharmacies and convenience stores in different parts of the state.
“No injuries have been reported, but there has been property damage,” the statement added, announcing the deployment of a security operation in coordination with the Army, the National Guard, and municipal police.
As a result of the violence, Air Canada suspended flights to Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist destination on Mexico’s west coast.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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CNN’s Christian Sierra in Washington contributed reporting.
