Key Takeaways
- Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, leader of Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), died Sunday following a military strike in Jalisco state.
- Intelligence gathered through a romantic associate led authorities to his location in Tapalpa.
- The operation and subsequent cartel retaliation resulted in 73 fatalities spanning 20 Mexican states.
- Mexican authorities mobilized approximately 9,500 military personnel to suppress cartel counterattacks.
- By Monday, President Sheinbaum announced more than 250 roadblocks had been dismantled and order restored.
The leader of Mexico’s powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, lost his life Sunday during a targeted military assault in western Jalisco state.
El Mencho ranked among the most sought-after fugitives in Mexico and the United States. Washington had posted a $15 million bounty for intelligence that would lead to his apprehension.
Defence Secretary Ricardo Trevilla revealed that military forces located El Mencho by surveilling a romantic associate who led them to his safe house in Tapalpa. An informant close to one of the cartel leader’s intimate partners provided crucial intelligence that enabled authorities to execute the operation swiftly.
As the raid unfolded, armed cartel enforcers engaged security personnel with heavy gunfire. The confrontation escalated to a cabin compound situated in a forested region, where El Mencho sustained critical injuries along with two personal guards.
Military helicopters evacuated all three individuals toward the capital. General Trevilla verified that none survived the flight to Mexico City.
The assault claimed the lives of eight cartel operatives. Authorities confiscated grenades, substantial ammunition stockpiles, bulletproof vehicles, and multiple rocket launchers from the compound.
The CJNG stands as one of Mexico’s most formidable criminal syndicates. The organization has earned notoriety for smuggling massive volumes of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine across the US border, earning a foreign terrorist organization designation from the Trump administration in February 2025.
Word of El Mencho’s demise triggered widespread cartel reprisals throughout a minimum of 20 states. Operatives erected roadblocks using spikes and nails, hijacked buses and civilian vehicles, and ignited them in public thoroughfares.
Cartel ambushes in Jalisco state alone resulted in 25 National Guard casualties across six separate incidents. Additional victims included a corrections officer, an investigator from the state prosecutor’s office, and 30 cartel members in the resulting violence.
Military Mobilization Across Mexico
Authorities activated roughly 9,500 military personnel nationwide, including an extra 2,500 troops dispatched to western regions Monday. Officials reported detaining no fewer than 70 suspects across seven states.
Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch stated authorities were “maintaining vigilant surveillance for potential reactions or organizational changes within the cartel that might trigger additional violence.”
International Visitors Trapped in Violence
Footage verified by BBC Verify captured tourists observing from resort pools as military aircraft circled overhead and smoke billowed from structures in Puerto Vallarta. Multiple carriers suspended air service to the coastal destination.
The US State Department advised American citizens in impacted zones to remain indoors. Its round-the-clock emergency hotline fielded numerous inquiries.
President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Monday that all 250-plus barricades erected across 20 states had been removed. She commended military personnel and characterized Mexico as “peaceful” and “tranquil.”
Washington confirmed providing intelligence assistance for the mission and commended Mexican forces for eliminating El Mencho.
The combined death toll from the military strike and ensuing violence reached 73, encompassing security personnel, suspected cartel operatives, and non-combatants.
