Mexico’s most wanted man, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as El Mencho, has been killed during a major military operation, according to Mexico’s defence ministry.
The 59-year-old leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is fatally wounded in fierce clashes between his supporters and Mexican special forces in the town of Tapalpa, in Jalisco state. Authorities say he dies on Sunday while being transported under heavy guard to Mexico City after suffering serious injuries.
Four suspected CJNG members are killed during the confrontation, and three soldiers are injured. The operation is described as carefully “planned and executed” by special forces, with support from aircraft operated by the Mexican Air Force and the National Guard. Officials confirm that armoured vehicles and a cache of high-powered weapons, including rocket launchers, are seized at the scene.
The United States provides intelligence that assists Mexican authorities in locating and moving against the cartel leader. Washington had previously offered a $15m reward for information leading to his capture.
Almost immediately after news of the operation spreads, CJNG launches coordinated retaliation. Gunmen set vehicles ablaze, block highways and attack security forces across at least eight states. Thick plumes of smoke rise above several المدن including Guadalajara, one of the host cities for the upcoming Fifa World Cup.
In the coastal resort of Puerto Vallarta, thousands of tourists are potentially stranded as violence disrupts transport links. Public transport services are suspended in Jalisco under a “code red” alert issued by state authorities. Flights operated by major North American carriers are cancelled, while others are diverted amid the unrest.
The US State Department issues a shelter-in-place warning for American citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas and parts of Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon.
President Claudia Sheinbaum urges the public to remain calm, saying that in most parts of the country daily life continues as normal despite the violence.
El Mencho, a former police officer, builds CJNG into one of the most powerful and feared criminal organisations in Mexico. The cartel becomes a major trafficker of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl into the United States, generating billions of dollars and expanding its reach across much of Mexico.
The CJNG, founded in Jalisco in 2010, gains notoriety for brazen and brutal attacks on security forces and public officials. It is blamed for shooting down an army helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade, killing dozens of state officials and publicly displaying victims’ bodies to intimidate rivals.
US officials have long regarded CJNG as a principal supplier of fentanyl to the American market. Recent figures from US Customs and Border Protection show thousands of pounds of fentanyl seized since October 2024, with the vast majority intercepted along the south-west border with Mexico.
Security analysts describe El Mencho’s killing as one of the most significant blows against organised crime in recent Mexican history. The operation represents a major political victory for President Sheinbaum in her campaign against drug cartels and could strengthen cooperation with the United States.
However, authorities now face the immediate challenge of containing the cartel’s violent backlash, amid fears that further instability could follow the death of one of the world’s most powerful drug kingpins.
Erizia Rubyjeana
