Mexico’s most wanted drug lord, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho,” has been killed following a major military operation targeting the leadership of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), according to Mexican defence authorities.
Officials confirmed that the 59-year-old cartel leader died Sunday while being transported to Mexico City, after sustaining serious injuries during armed clashes between his supporters and Mexican security forces.
The operation unfolded in Tapalpa, located in Mexico’s central-western Jalisco state, where intense fighting resulted in the deaths of four CJNG members and injuries to three army personnel. Mexican special forces led the coordinated effort, supported by aircraft from the Mexican Air Force and the National Guard.
Authorities also reported the seizure of multiple armoured vehicles and heavy weapons, including rocket launchers, highlighting the cartel’s firepower and operational capacity.
Following the operation, CJNG affiliates launched retaliatory attacks across at least eight states, setting vehicles ablaze, erecting roadblocks, and confronting security forces. The violence prompted the United States Department of State to issue shelter-in-place warnings for American citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, and parts of Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León.
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, called for public calm, assuring citizens that most regions of the country remain stable despite the localized unrest.
A former police officer turned cartel leader, El Mencho oversaw a vast criminal network accused of trafficking significant quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the United States. The U.S. government had previously offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture.
Mexican officials confirmed that intelligence provided by U.S. authorities contributed to the success of the operation.
Security forces remain on heightened alert as authorities assess potential fallout from the cartel leader’s death and the possibility of further retaliatory violence.
Swifteradio.com
