Mexican Military Kills Jalisco Cartel Leader 'El Mencho' with U.S. Intelligence Support

Mexican authorities have killed one of the world's most wanted drug-traffickers, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," founder and leader of the notorious Jalisco New Generation cartel. The Mexican Defense Ministry confirmed Oseguera was wounded during a Sunday morning operation in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco state, and died while being transported via air with other cartel associates to Mexico City for treatment.

A new U.S.-military-led task force specializing in intelligence collection on drug cartels played a role in the Mexican military raid. The Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel, which involves multiple U.S. government agencies, was quietly launched late last year with the goal of mapping out networks of drug cartel members on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. The ministry noted that U.S. authorities had provided "complementary information." The raid itself was a Mexican military operation.

Oseguera's death is the most significant take-down of a Mexican drug capo since the capture of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, then head of the Sinaloa cartel, who is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison. U.S. authorities had offered a $15-million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Oseguera.

The operation set off a wave of violence, with torched cars and gunmen blocking highways in more than half a dozen states. Chaos erupted across western Mexico on Sunday. Cartel members were pulling people out of vehicles in the street and setting them on fire. Cars, trucks and buses going up in flames and emitting plumes of dark smoke were visible on roads in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, according to footage circulating on social media, as well as in the states of Nayarit and Michoacán.

The governor of Jalisco reported roadblocks and other disturbances throughout the western state and advised people to stay home. Flights were suspended at the airport in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco. Authorities also reported blocked roads in other areas of Mexico where the cartel held sway.

The reported death of Oseguera is a major achievement for the government of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has been under intense pressure from the Trump administration to crack down on U.S.-bound drug trafficking. In the last year, Mexico has dispatched scores of cartel suspects to the United States to face justice.

Oseguera oversaw a military-like buildup of his cartel, which pioneered the use of armored vehicles, land mines, drones and other military hardware. Among other attacks, the Jalisco gang was blamed for the 2015 downing of a Mexican military helicopter, which resulted in the death of nine Mexican law enforcement officials. The helicopter was reportedly hit with U.S.-made .50-caliber machine-gun rounds and was on a mission to capture the elusive cartel boss.

His son, Rubén Oseguera González, known as "El Menchito," was captured and extradited from Mexico in February 2020. He was convicted in 2024 on an array of drug and weapons charges related to his leadership role in the cartel and is now serving a life sentence. He is housed at a maximum-security federal prison in Florence, Colo., known as the "Alcatraz of The Rockies," that also houses "El Chapo" and other high-profile criminals.

His daughter, Jessica Johanna Oseguera González, was arrested while visiting one of her brother's court proceedings and eventually pleaded guilty to violations of the so-called Kingpin Act related to money laundering. She reportedly spent just over two years in prison before her release in 2022.