In a significant blow to organised crime, Nemesio Oseguera-Cervantes, aka El Mencho, one of Mexico’s most notorious drug lords, was killed in an operation by Mexican security forces, as part of the government’s war against cartels.
While US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau lauded the killing of El Mencho, saying the good guys are stronger than the bad guys, the incident triggered violent reprisals across several states.
Here’s all about the powerful cartel leaders:
The 60-year-old cartel boss led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most dominant criminal syndicates. Under his leadership, the CJNG evolved from a regional group into a sprawling, multinational enterprise with influence across the Americas.
Mencho’s cartel also pioneered the use of drones armed with explosives, deploying them in attacks in remote parts of western Mexico.
El Mencho’s rise coincided with the fall of older cartel leaders, including Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada of the Sinaloa Cartel. While Guzmán and Zambada were captured alive and later imprisoned in the United States, El Mencho managed to evade arrest for years, strengthening CJNG’s position as a formidable rival to Sinaloa.
Before becoming one of the most powerful figures in global organised crime, Oseguera was a former police officer.
The drug kingpin was accused of playing a central role in the flow of fentanyl and methamphetamine into American communities. In 2022, the U.S. Justice Department charged him with overseeing fentanyl production for importation into the United States.
A $15 million reward was offered for information leading to his capture, one of the largest bounties ever placed on a drug trafficker.
The fall of El Mencho may close one chapter in Mexico’s drug war, but apparently, the broader conflict is far from over.