Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, also known as El Mencho, was killed in a military operation, Mexican news outlets reported, citing government sources. Major chaos broke out at Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta airports, after El Mencho’s cartel reportedly retaliated after Oseguera’s killing.
Oseguera was the shadowy leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), an outfit that took its moniker from the western state of the same name that is home to Mexico’s second largest city, Guadalajara. Over a relatively short period of time, the CJNG became a continents-spanning criminal enterprise rivaling his former allies in the Sinaloa Cartel, the gang of captured kingpin Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, now in a US prison, Reuters reported.
The US had offered a $15m reward for his capture.
Born in 1966 in Mexico, El Mencho spent some time in the US in the 1980s and was later deported to Mexico after a drug conviction. He rose through the cartel ranks in the 200s and took control of CJNG. He was indicted by US federal prosecutors on multiple drug trafficking and weapons charges but continued to evade capture for years.
What is CJNG?
CJNG was formed in 2009 and became one of the most violent drug cartels in Mexico, having the highest cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine trafficking capacity — initially in Mexico and then to the US.
The US said that under El Mencho’s leadership, CJNG was responsible for many homicides against rival trafficking groups and Mexican law enforcement officers. CJNG operatives were also involved in assassination attempts of Mexical government officials.
Since 2017, El Mencho had been indicted several times in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. Documents said the most recent superseding indictment, filed on April 5, 2022, charged the drug lord with conspiracy and distribution of a controlled substance (methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl) for purposes of unlawful importation into the United States and use of a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes.
El Mencho was also charged under the Drug Kingpin Statute for operating a continuing criminal enterprise.
Why Mexican airports are under attack
Chaotic visuals from Mexican airports flooded social media soon after El Menco was killed Reports claimed that the CJNG cartel responded to the killing of their leader and stormed airports and many pther locations in Jalisco.
