Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho”, has been killed in a military raid.
El Mencho was the leader of one of the fastest-growing criminal organisations in Mexico, known for smuggling billions of dollars worth of cocaine and fentanyl into the US.
The kingpin’s killing notches a major victory for Mexico’s war on drug cartels.
The Mexican army has killed the leader of one of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels as the country ramps up pressure on cartels after US intervention threats.
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho”, was wounded in an operation to capture him in Jalisco, a state about a two-hour drive from Guadalajara.
He died while being flown to Mexico City, the Defense Department said in a statement.
El Mencho was wanted by the US government. (Reuters: State Department)
An ex-police officer, El Mencho was the shadowy leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), an outfit named for the western state that is home to Mexico’s second-largest city, Guadalajara, and scheduled to host matches during this summer’s soccer World Cup.
The state is the base of the cartel known for trafficking huge quantities of fentanyl and other drugs to the US.
Over a relatively short period, the CJNG morphed into an international criminal enterprise rivalling former allies in the Sinaloa Cartel, the gang of captured kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, now in a US prison.
The operation set off a wave of violence with torched cars and gunmen blocking highways in more than half a dozen states.
During Sunday’s operation, troops came under fire and killed four people at the location. Three more people, including El Mencho, were wounded and later died, the statement said.
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-23/cartel-boss-el-mencho-killed-by-mexican-army/106375040
