Mexico’s most-wanted drug lord, Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, died after being wounded during a military operation in Mexico, authorities said, in a strike that also unleashed deadly cartel reprisals across several states.
Officials said intelligence gathered from the movements of his romantic partner helped security forces pinpoint the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader’s location near the mountain town of Tapalpa, Jalisco. He was injured in a clash with troops and later died while being flown to a medical facility along with two bodyguards.
HOW AUTHORITIES TRACKED EL MENCHO
Mexico’s Defence Minister Ricardo Trevilla said investigators identified a trusted associate linked to one of Oseguera’s partners and followed her movements to a rural compound. After she left, officials concluded the cartel leader remained inside under heavy guard and moved quickly to launch an operation.
Security forces surrounded the property the following day. Gunmen loyal to Oseguera opened fire and retreated with him into nearby forest. Troops later found him seriously injured along with members of his inner circle.
The injured men were evacuated by helicopter but did not survive the journey. “Unfortunately, they died on the way,” Trevilla said at a government briefing.
Mexican forces planned and carried out the raid, with the United States only sharing intelligence that helped confirm the hideout’s location. President Claudia Sheinbaum said clearly that US troops were not involved in the operation.
VIOLENCE ERUPTS IN MEXICO
Within hours of the raid, CJNG fighters launched coordinated reprisals across multiple regions, blocking roads, setting vehicles ablaze, attacking businesses and opening fire on security forces.
Security minister Omar Garca Harfuch said at least 25 National Guard members were killed in attacks in Jalisco state on Sunday, alongside around 30 suspected cartel members. Dozens more people were arrested across several states as forces moved to contain the unrest.
The violence was also directed by senior CJNG figures attempting to destabilise the government response. Oseguera’s alleged financial chief, known as El Tuli, was reported killed in a separate clash with troops.
President Sheinbaum sought to reassure that security was stabilising after the initial shock. “The most important thing now is to guarantee peace and security for all of Mexico’s population,” she said. “Today is calmer.”
Over the years, Oseguera turned the CJNG into one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal groups, spreading its reach across much of the country and playing a major role in moving fentanyl and other drugs into the United States.
With inputs form agencies
