The recent operation in Mexico’s Jalisco state resulting in the death of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” is causing significant disruption among the country’s drug cartels, according to a former senior U.S. official speaking to CBC News. El Mencho led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which has gained notoriety for drug trafficking and carrying out bold attacks against Mexican authorities challenging its operations. This cartel has been particularly aggressive in targeting the military, using tactics such as attacking helicopters, deploying explosives from drones, and setting up mines. According to Insight Crime, CJNG operates in nearly 28 of Mexico’s 32 states.
The operation leading to Oseguera Cervantes’s demise was initiated after authorities tracked one of his romantic partners to his hideout in Tapalpa, as announced by Defence Secretary Ricardo Trevilla. A confrontation ensued when Mexican Army and National Guard special forces engaged the cartel members. During the encounter, eight gunmen were killed on the spot, while Oseguera Cervantes and two bodyguards managed to escape into a wooded area. A firefight ensued, resulting in severe injuries to the trio. Despite being airlifted along with a wounded soldier, Oseguera Cervantes and his associates succumbed to their injuries while en route to Mexico City.
Oseguera Cervantes, aged 59, had long operated with a sense of invincibility, as noted by Mike Vigil, a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency chief of international operations. Vigil highlighted that the death of Oseguera Cervantes could temporarily impact the flow of fentanyl and methamphetamine into the United States, given his prominent role in drug trafficking operations.
El Mencho had been a longtime target of U.S. authorities, with a $15 million reward offered for information leading to his capture. The CJNG, believed to have been established around 2009, has faced scrutiny from both Democratic and Republican administrations in the U.S. Over the years, Oseguera Cervantes had been involved in various criminal activities, including his previous arrests in the U.S. dating back to the late 1980s.
The death of El Mencho is expected to escalate retaliatory violence in Mexico, as indicated by Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch. The CJNG’s history of aggressive actions was underscored by an attempt on Harfuch’s life in 2020, where he was wounded in an assassination attributed to the cartel. The ongoing violence between Mexican authorities and the CJNG is likely to persist in the coming days, leading to concerns about the security situation in the region.