Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a military operation, Mexican newspaper El Universal reported.
The announcement comes amid widespread violence across the country, including road blockades and burning vehicles, especially in the states of Jalisco, Michoacan, Colima, Guerrero, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Zacatecas and Tamaulipas.
This news came on the heels of a federal security operation in the city of Tapalpa, in the state of Jalisco, according to what Governor Pablo Lemos Navarro posted on the X website.
“Federal forces carried out an operation in Tapalpa a few hours ago, which led to confrontations in the area. Also as a result of this operation, at various points of that area and in other parts of Jalisco, individuals burned and blocked vehicles to obstruct the work of the authorities,” Navarro wrote.
“I have given instructions to immediately form a security committee with authorities from all three levels of government and activate Code Red in order to prevent actions against the population.”
Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramirez Pedulla reported that highways in his state were closed as a result of the operation.
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Who is Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes?
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes was born on July 17, 1966 in Aguila, Michoacán, Mexico. He was a Mexican national and one of the country’s most wanted fugitives. He founded the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in 2009, which has grown into one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in Mexico.
Under his leadership, the CJNG controlled large-scale trafficking of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the United States, and was linked to numerous murders, attacks on rival gangs and law enforcement officers, and attempts on the life of government officials.
He has been indicted several times in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, most recently in 2022, on charges including drug trafficking, firearms violations, and running a continuing criminal enterprise. In 2024, the US State Department offered up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
