‘El Mencho,’ Mexico’s Notorious Cartel Boss, Killed by Security Forces

Drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” was killed on Sunday in a military operation, the Mexican government said on Sunday.

The former Jalisco state policeman who headed up what was considered Mexico’s fastest growing and deadliest drug cartels known as Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación, or CJNG, was killed by Mexican security forces in Tapalpa in the western state of Jalisco where he ran his cartel, the Mexican government said. At least seven cartel members were killed in the operation, according to The New York Times.

Oseguera Cervantes was wounded during a raid and died while being transported to Mexico City, according to a statement from Mexico’s Ministry of Defense posted on X.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau also confirmed the cartel leader’s death, describing him as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drugpins.” He added: “This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world.”

His death may strengthen relations between Mexico and the U.S. as President Donald Trump has threatened military strikes against Mexico’s cartels if the country does not step up its enforcement against the groups. Last February, the Trump administration designated CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization that “engages in extortion, migrant smuggling, oil and mineral theft, as well as weapons trade” alongside trafficking fentanyl and other drugs.

Violence has erupted in western Mexico in the wake of El Mencho’s death, with reports of vehicles being burned in at least six states, which is a common tactic used by drug cartels to circumvent military operations. Jalisco, whose capital Guadalajara is slated to host the World Cup this summer, suspended public transportation and Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus Navarro advised people in the region to remain at home until the situation comes under control.

The U.S. government also urged U.S. citizens in five states — Jalisco State (including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara), Tamaulipas State (including Reynosa and other municipalities), areas of Michoacan State, Guerrero State, and Nuevo Leon State — to “shelter in place until further notice.”

On Sunday, various airlines canceled flights or issued travel advisories for the region. Video footage on social media showed chaotic panic at the airport in Guadalajara, and smoke rising over Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, Oseguera Cervantes had been indicted several times in a D.C. federal court on charges of drug trafficking, corruption and murder, and was one of America’s top cartel targets. The homicide rate in Mexico increased multifold during Oseguera Cervantes’ reign. “We’ve seen it become very bloody, and a lot of people attribute that to El Mencho himself,” Scott Stewart, a senior cartel analyst at Stratfor, a private intelligence firm, told RS in 2017. “Wherever they try to muscle in, it creates bodies.”

Back in 2017, there was a $5 million bounty on Oseguera Cervantes’ head. Recently, the U.S. State Department was offering $15 million for information leading to El Mencho’s arrest or conviction, signaling his rising status as America’s most-wanted cartel boss, who eluded authorities for years until Sunday.