Mexico’s Most Wanted Fugitive El Mencho, With $15M U.S. Bounty on His Head, Killed in Joint Operation

Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), has been killed during a security operation carried out with assistance from the United States government.

Mexico’s Defence Ministry said on February 22 that Oseguera Cervantes died while being transported to Mexico City after sustaining grave injuries in clashes between his supporters and the army.

The operation took place in Tapalpa, in the state of Jalisco. Four members of the cartel were killed and three soldiers were injured. Following the operation, cartel members retaliated by setting vehicles on fire and launching attacks against security forces across eight states, BBC News reported.

Born in the Mexican state of Michoacán, Oseguera Cervantes worked as an avocado picker before dropping out of primary school and illegally immigrating to the United States in the 1980s.

After multiple arrests, he was deported to Mexico in the early 1990s and joined the Milenio Cartel. He later rose through the ranks and founded the Jalisco New Generation Cartel after the arrest or death of several cartel leaders.

A former police officer, he trafficked large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl into the United States.

At the time of his death, Oseguera Cervantes was Mexico’s most wanted fugitive and among the most wanted in the United States, with combined rewards of up to $15 million and 300 million Mexican pesos offered for information leading to his capture.

The Defence Ministry said the operation was carried out by the Mexican Army, the Mexican Air Force, and the National Guard Immediate Reaction Special Force.

The Ministry said two members of the criminal organization were detained and various weapons and armored vehicles were seized, including rocket launchers capable of downing aircraft and destroying armored vehicles.

It said the operation was supported by central military intelligence and conducted under bilateral coordination with the United States, with U.S. authorities providing complementary intelligence.

President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo issued a statement on X regarding the attacks. She wrote, “There is absolute coordination with the governments of all states; we must remain informed and calm.”

“The social media accounts of the Security Cabinet provide permanent updates. In the vast majority of the national territory, activities are proceeding with complete normality,” Sheinbaum Pardo said. “We work every day for peace, security, justice, and the well-being of Mexico.”

Eyewitnesses recorded plumes of smoke rising over several cities including Guadalajara, one of the host cities of the upcoming Fifa World Cup, BBC news reported. Thousands of tourists were also reported stranded in the resort city of Puerto Vallarta.

Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro advised residents to adhere to a Code Red warning and stay in their homes. On social media, he said “our priority is always to be close to the people”.

The violence also disrupted air traffic. United Airlines, American Airlines and Air Canada cancelled flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. A flight operated by Delta Airlines bound for Guadalajara from Atlanta was diverted to Austin, Flight Aware said on its site.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau called Oseguera Cervantes “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins." He said, “This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys,” he wrote on social media.