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In a significant blow to organized crime in Mexico, the country’s military forces have eliminated Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho,” the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. This development, announced on Sunday, represents a major victory for Mexican authorities and underscores their commitment to combating drug trafficking operations.
The operation to capture Oseguera Cervantes unfolded in Tapalpa, Jalisco, a region approximately two hours southwest of Guadalajara. According to a statement from Mexico’s Defense Department, El Mencho sustained injuries during the mission and succumbed to them en route to Mexico City. The cartel, based in Jalisco, has been infamous for smuggling large quantities of fentanyl and other drugs into the United States.
During the high-stakes operation, military personnel engaged in a firefight that resulted in the deaths of four individuals on-site. Three others, including Oseguera Cervantes, were injured and later died. Authorities arrested two more suspects, seizing an arsenal of weapons, including armored vehicles and rocket launchers. Additionally, three soldiers were injured and are currently receiving medical care.
Roadblocks and burning vehicles
Following the death of El Mencho, Jalisco and surrounding areas experienced a series of violent roadblocks involving burning vehicles, a common tactic deployed by cartels to thwart military actions. In response to the unrest, local schools in Jalisco announced closures for Monday to ensure safety.
Social media platforms were flooded with videos capturing the chaos, showing thick smoke rising over the tourist hub of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, and travelers dashing through the state’s capital airport in a state of alarm. Citing the “ongoing security situation,” Air Canada suspended its flights to Puerto Vallarta on Sunday afternoon, advising passengers to avoid the airport.
In Guadalajara, the state capital, burning vehicles blocked roads. Mexico’s second-largest city is scheduled to host matches during this summer’s soccer World Cup.
The U.S. State Department warned U.S. citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon states to remain in safe places due to the ongoing security operations. Canada’s embassy in Mexico warned its citizens in Puerto Vallarta to shelter in place and generally to keep a low profile in Jalisco.
Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus told residents to stay at home and suspended public transportation.
US had offered up to $15 million for his capture
The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG, is one of the most powerful and fastest growing criminal organizations in Mexico and was born in 2009.
In February, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, like her predecessor, has criticized the “kingpin” strategy of previous administrations that took out cartel leaders only to trigger explosions of violence as cartels fractured. While she has remained popular in Mexico, security is a persistent concern and since U.S. President Donald Trump took office a year ago, she has been under tremendous pressure to show results against drug trafficking.
Known as aggressive cartel
The Jalisco cartel has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks on the military — including on helicopters — and is a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines. In 2020, it carried out a spectacular assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then head of the capital’s police force and now federal security secretary.
The DEA considers the cartel to be as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico’s most infamous criminal groups, with a presence in all 50 U.S. states. It is one of the main suppliers of cocaine to the U.S. market and, like the Sinaloa cartel, earns billions from the production of fentanyl and methamphetamines. Sinaloa, however, has been weakened by infighting after the loss of its leaders Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, both in U.S. custody.
Oseguera Cervantes, 59, was originally from Aguililla in the neighboring state of Michoacan. He had been significantly involved in drug trafficking activities since the 1990s. When he was younger, he migrated to the U.S. where he was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 1994 and served nearly three years in prison.
Following his release from custody, Oseguera Cervantes returned to Mexico and reengaged in drug trafficking activity with drug lord Ignacio Coronel Villarreal, alias “Nacho Coronel.” After Villarreal’s death, Oseguera Cervantes and Erik Valencia Salazar, alias “El 85”, created the Jalisco New Generation Cartel around 2007.
Initially, they worked for the Sinaloa Cartel, but eventually split and for years the two cartels have battled for territory across Mexico.
Indicted several times in the United States
Since 2017, Oseguera Cervantes has been indicted several times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
The most recent superseding indictment, filed on April 5, 2022, charges Oseguera Cervantes with conspiracy and distribution of controlled substances (methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl) for the purpose of illegal importation into the United States and use of firearms during and in connection with drug trafficking offenses. Oseguera Cervantes is also charged under the Drug Kingpin Enforcement Act for directing a continuing criminal enterprise.
Last year, people searching for missing relatives founds piles of shoes and other clothing, as well as bone fragments at what authorities later said was a Jalisco cartel recruitment and training site.