- Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, CJNG leader, was killed in a military raid in western Mexico
- CJNG under El Mencho committed multiple violent attacks including ambushes and assassinations
- CJNG is considered a national security threat in Mexico and the US by security experts
The Mexican security forces have killed Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as "El Mencho," the powerful leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in a military operation in Tapalpa, western Mexico.
He was captured alive during the raid, but died from the injuries he sustained in a firefight while being transported for medical treatment.
El Mencho was one of the most wanted drug lords in Mexico and internationally. As the head of the CJNG, he led one of the country's most powerful and violent criminal organisations.
He was responsible for carrying out large-scale drug trafficking, extortion, kidnappings and attacks on security forces.
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Major cases involving El Mencho's gang in Mexico
El Mencho was responsible for sending huge amounts of drugs into the US. He oversaw more than 50 metric tons of cocaine and ran drug labs producing over 1,000 metric tons of methamphetamine. In 2013, he helped start the fentanyl epidemic in the US.
Court documents state that El Mencho ordered the murders of more than 100 people, and in some cases, committed the killings himself.
2011
A shocking incident took place in Boca del Rio, Mexico, where 35 bodies of rival gang members were dumped from a truck. The victims were reportedly tortured and had their hands tied before being killed.
2015
The cartel members under his command shot down a Mexican army helicopter using a rocket launcher, killing soldiers and helping him escape capture.
2019
A deadly ambush in Michoacan, Mexico, left 14 police officers dead. The attackers used machine guns and set vehicles on fire to block escape routes.
2020
The CJNG cartel tried to assassinate Omar García Harfuch, Mexico's Secretary of Security, using grenades and high-powered rifles. More than 400 bullets were fired at his convoy. Harfuch was hit thrice. Now, Harfuch helped oversee the military operation that killed El Mencho, the leader of CJNG.
2025
Carlos Manzo, Uruapan's town mayor, was executed in the town square in front of his family and a crowd of people during the Day of the Dead festival. He had publicly criticised Mexico's President over cartel violence. Reports say El Mencho planned and ordered the killing.
Security expert Eduardo Guerrero warned in 2021 that the CJNG is considered a national security threat by authorities both in Mexico and the US. Guerrero noted that in small and mid-sized cities, even a detachment of 50 CJNG operatives could easily overpower local police.
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