Air Force veteran warns 'cartels don’t collapse — they fracture' after notorious drug lord killed

Nearly 2 weeks aft Mexican forces killed notorious cartel brag Ruben "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, questions stay astir however the almighty Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) volition respond and whether the stroke volition meaningfully disrupt the travel of fentanyl into the United States.

Carlos De La Cruz, a 20-year U.S. Air Force seasoned who deployed aft 9/11 and aboriginal served on the confederate border, told Fox News the cartel leader’s decease marked a large victory, but warned Americans should not mistake it for the extremity of the fight.

"When I accidental that this is simply a important win, I mean it," De La Cruz said. "El Mencho ran 1 of the astir convulsive cartels connected the planet."

Oseguera, who roseate to prominence successful the post–El Chapo era, oversaw CJNG’s assertive enlargement crossed Mexico and into cardinal trafficking corridors feeding U.S. cause markets. Under his leadership, the cartel became a cardinal designer of fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking and drew a $15 cardinal U.S. reward for accusation starring to his capture.

Smoke rises from burning vehicles aft a subject cognition that a authorities root said killed Mexican cause lord Nemesio Oseguera, known arsenic "El Mencho," successful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, connected Feb. 22, 2026. (Screen drawback obtained from a societal media video. @morelifediares via Instagram/YouTube via Reuters)

But De La Cruz cautioned that removing a cartel kingpin does not dismantle the organization.

"Cartels don’t illness erstwhile you conscionable chopped the caput disconnected — they fracture," helium said. "And portion of that fracture is going to spot a batch of short-term unit portion each these factions combat implicit territory."

Following Oseguera’s sidesplitting connected Feb. 22, the U.S. State Department issued question alerts successful aggregate Mexican states, citing roadworthy blockages and transgression enactment tied to information operations, underscoring concerns astir instability successful the aftermath.

Drawing connected his subject inheritance studying force bid structures, De La Cruz described the cartel combat arsenic a semipermanent run requiring sustained pressure.

A mughsot of Ruben "Nemesio" Oseguera Cervantes, known arsenic "El Mencho," beside graffiti depicting the letters of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, covering the facade of an abandoned location successful El Limoncito, successful the Michoacan authorities of Mexico. (Eduardo Verdugo/AP Images; Drug Enforcement Administration)

"You don’t triumph a warfare with conscionable 1 airstrike," helium said. "The extremity is dismantling the networks and going aft their financing."

De La Cruz, who is moving for Congress and is the member of Texas Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz, argued that CJNG’s Foreign Terrorist Organization designation gives U.S. instrumentality enforcement and quality agencies expanded tools to people cartel infrastructure and fiscal pipelines.

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A worker stands defender by a charred conveyance aft it was acceptable connected occurrence successful Cointzio, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, aft the cartel leader's death. (Armando Solis/AP Photo)

But helium stressed that the fentanyl situation should beryllium viewed arsenic a home information emergency, not a distant overseas problem.

"For decades, they were utilizing their territories arsenic launching pads to pump chemic weapons into America — due to the fact that that’s precisely what fentanyl is," helium said.

De La Cruz, who said helium worked broadside by broadside with Customs agents portion deployed to the border, warned that cartel networks are highly adaptive and that immoderate gains could beryllium impermanent without sustained follow-through.

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Smoke rises aft unit deed Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. (Courtesy of Scott Posilkin)

"These networks, they’re going to adjust. They’re going to accommodate and they’re going to accommodate quickly," helium said. "We person to proceed to spell aft the wealth launderers, particularly connected our broadside of the border, due to the fact that that’s the afloat fight."

While Oseguera’s decease removes 1 of the astir ascendant figures successful Mexico’s transgression underworld, De La Cruz said the ngo is personal.

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"I took an oath to support this country," helium said. "And I mean to basal by that oath."

Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].

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