El Mencho, Mexico's Most Wanted Drug Lord, Killed: All You Need To Know
Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and one of the world’s most prolific narcotics kingpins, has been killed during a high-stakes military operation in western Mexico. The death of the 59-year-old fugitive on Sunday, February 22, 2026, marks the end of a decade-long manhunt but has simultaneously ignited a wave of retaliatory violence across multiple Mexican states.
The Mexican Defence Ministry confirmed that Oseguera Cervantes died while being transported to Mexico City. He had sustained serious injuries during a fierce gunbattle between his loyalists and elite special forces in the town of Tapalpa, located in the coastal state of Jalisco. The operation, described as “planned and executed” by special forces with support from the Mexican Air Force and National Guard, also resulted in the deaths of four CJNG members and injuries to three army personnel.
A Rise Rooted in Brutality
Born in July 1966 in Michoacán, Oseguera’s path to becoming Mexico’s most powerful cartel boss was unconventional. A former police officer in Jalisco, he had previously served three years in a United States prison in the 1990s following a heroin distribution conviction in California. Upon his return to Mexico, he transitioned from law enforcement to the criminal underworld, serving as the chief of hitmen for the Milenio Cartel and later overseeing security for the infamous Sinaloa Cartel.
The CJNG emerged in 2010 from the remnants of the Milenio Cartel following a power vacuum. Analysts suggest Oseguera’s ascent to leadership was secured through “diplomacy via marriage” to Rosalinda González Valencia, whose family led the “Los Cuinis” cartel. This union provided Oseguera with the necessary lineage and financial infrastructure to transform the CJNG into a global criminal empire.
The World’s Most Wanted
At the time of his death, “El Mencho” was the subject of a $15 million (£11.1m) bounty offered by the US Department of State. He was considered the successor to Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán in terms of influence, though he was noted for keeping a much lower profile, with only a handful of photographs of him known to exist.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had identified the CJNG as a “key supplier of illicit fentanyl,” reaping billions of dollars in profit. The cartel’s reach extended to over 40 countries, maintaining chemical precursor links in China and controlling several Mexican seaports to facilitate the mass production of methamphetamine and cocaine. In February 2025, the US officially designated the CJNG as a terrorist organisation.
Chaos and Retaliation
The vacuum left by Oseguera’s death was immediately filled with violence. CJNG operatives responded to the military strike by erecting roadblocks, setting vehicles ablaze, and attacking security forces across eight states.
In the tourist hotspot of Puerto Vallarta, thousands of holidaymakers found themselves trapped as gunmen took to the streets. The Governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus Navarro, declared a “code red” warning, advising residents to remain indoors and suspending all public transport. The unrest prompted major international carriers, including United Airlines, American Airlines, and Air Canada, to cancel flights to the region.
The US State Department issued an urgent “shelter-in-place” warning for citizens in:
* Jalisco
* Tamaulipas
* Michoacán
* Guerrero
* Nuevo León
Geopolitical Implications
The timing of the operation is significant, coming amid intense pressure from US President Donald Trump for Mexico to “take out the cartels.” Earlier this year, President Trump suggested the possibility of hitting cartels on Mexican soil, a move Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo initially described as “not on the table.”
The successful operation, which relied on intelligence provided by the US, represents a major domestic victory for President Sheinbaum. However, the ferocity of the cartel’s response threatens to overshadow the achievement. Former US ambassador to Mexico, Christopher Landau, hailed the death as a “great development for the world,” describing Oseguera as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins” in history.
What Happens Next?
While the head of the CJNG has been removed, authorities warn that the cartel’s multi-billion-dollar infrastructure remains largely intact. The group is renowned for its military-grade firepower; during the Tapalpa raid, the military seized an array of armoured vehicles and rocket launchers—the same type of weaponry the cartel used in 2015 to shoot down a military helicopter.
As National Guard members stand watch over the ongoing investigation in Mexico City, the country remains on high alert. President Sheinbaum has urged the public to remain calm, asserting that activities in most of the country are proceeding normally, despite the plumes of smoke rising over cities like Guadalajara.
