On Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, the Mexican army killed the nation's most notorious and violent cartel leader. In retaliation, cartel members unleashed a surge of violence throughout the country seeking revenge, prompting several countries to issue travel advisories to citizens in Mexico to shelter-in-place.
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, 59, better known as "El Mencho," the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed Sunday in a military operation that took place in Tapalpa western Mexico. El Mencho was captured alive but later died in custody. His body was transported to Mexico City under tight security.
In the wake of his death, violence erupted across several regions in Mexico, with CJNG members reportedly seeking revenge, according to sources cited by Reuters. Cartel members set vehicles on fire, blocked highways, and caused widespread panic.
El Mencho's Rise to Power After El Chapo's Arrest
El Mencho migrated to the United States as a young man, where his path took a decisive turn. He was arrested on drug-related charges, served time in prison for heroin trafficking, and was eventually deported back to Mexico. That period marked his deeper entry into the criminal world.
The arrest of Milenio Cartel leader Óscar Nava Valencia in 2009 created a power vacuum in Mexico's drug trade, allowing rival groups to expand. El Mencho capitalized on this opportunity, consolidating his control over key drug-trafficking routes across Mexico.
Through extreme violence and intimidation, El Mencho eliminated rivals and expanded CJNG's territory rapidly. He also developed extensive international networks to smuggle fentanyl and other drugs into the United States, boosting his influence.
El Mencho rose to become one of Mexico's most powerful and feared cartel leaders, building a reputation for brutality that rivaled even El Chapo's global notoriety. Below are a few instances of how he earned the reputation of being the most feared cartel leaders in the country.
El Mencho was Responsible for at Least One-Third of All Drugs Entering the U.S.
After breaking away from the Milenio Cartel around 2011, Oseguera Cervantes and his associates established CJNG, which the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) described as heavily involved in the manufacturing, trafficking, and distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, along with extensive money laundering operations.
By 2019, the DEA estimated El Mencho's CJNG was responsible for at least one-third of all drugs entering the United States by air and sea.
El Mencho oversaw more than 50 metric tons of cocaine and ran drug labs producing over 1,000 metric tons of methamphetamine. He also helped start the fentanyl epidemic in the US. The US State Department had offered a $15m (£11.1m) reward for information leading to El Mencho's capture.
CJNG Once Shot Down an Army Helicopter
The cartel demonstrated its firepower in May 2015, when it responded to a security operation with simultaneous roadblocks across several municipalities and shot down a military helicopter using a rocket launcher, thwarting attempts to capture him. Three soldiers were killed in the clashes.
The following year, the gang was credited with a brazen kidnapping of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's son from a trendy restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. He was released a week later.
High-Profile Assassinations
In 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.
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.
