Who is El Mencho? Inside the rise of CJNG’s fallen kingpin and the cartel he built

Ruben "Nemesio" Oseguera Cervantes, known arsenic "El Mencho," the almighty person of the Mexican Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) who roseate to prominence aft the autumn of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the erstwhile caput of the rival Sinaloa Cartel, was killed Sunday successful a Mexican subject operation, authorities said.

Under Oseguera’s leadership, CJNG expanded aggressively crossed Mexico, battling Sinaloa for power of cardinal trafficking corridors into the United States and cementing its presumption arsenic 1 of the world’s astir formidable cause trafficking organizations.

His decease marks the autumn of 1 of the astir influential and elusive cartel bosses of the post–El Chapo era, agelong viewed by U.S. and Mexican officials arsenic a cardinal designer of fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said helium had been informed that Mexican information forces killed Oseguera, calling it a important victory.

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El Mencho was killed during a Mexican cognition successful Jalisco connected Sunday. (Drug Enforcement Administration)

"I’ve conscionable been informed that Mexican information forces person killed ‘El Mencho,’ 1 of the bloodiest and astir ruthless cause kingpins," Landau wrote connected X. "This is simply a large improvement for Mexico, the U.S., Latin America and the world. The bully guys are stronger than the atrocious guys."

A elder State Department authoritative separately confirmed Oseguera’s decease and referred to Landau’s remarks.

The State Department issued a question alert Sunday for aggregate areas of Mexico, urging U.S. citizens to structure successful spot owed to "ongoing information operations and related roadworthy blockages and transgression activity," including parts of Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo León.

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A worker stands defender by a charred conveyance aft it was acceptable connected fire, successful Cointzio, Michoacán state, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, pursuing the decease of the person of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Oseguera, known arsenic "El Mencho."  (Armando Solis/AP Photo)

Oseguera, a erstwhile constabulary officer, helped recovered CJNG astir 2009 aft splintering from the Sinaloa Cartel. In the years that followed, the radical evolved from a determination faction into 1 of the astir ascendant trafficking networks successful the world.

U.S. authorities steadily accrued the reward for accusation starring to his capture, astatine 1 constituent offering up to $15 million, placing him among the astir wanted fugitives globally.

Former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration authoritative Paul Craine erstwhile described Oseguera arsenic "public force No. 1" and said helium commanded an "army of thousands."

BARBARIC KILLINGS, AMPUTATIONS, RUTHLESS EXTORTION: THE ALARMING RISE OF MEXICO'S JALISCO NEW GENERATION

The Drug Enforcement Administration successful Atlanta seized much implicit 1,000 pounds of meth linked to the convulsive 'Cartel Jalisco New Generation.' (Fox News)

Authorities person linked him to coordinated attacks connected Mexican information forces, including a 2015 battle successful Jalisco successful which cartel gunmen utilized rocket-propelled grenades to bring down a subject helicopter.

Over time, CJNG gained a estimation for projecting spot done nationalist displays of unit and societal media messaging, reinforcing its presumption arsenic 1 of Mexico’s astir feared transgression organizations.

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His decease removes 1 of the astir ascendant figures successful Mexico’s transgression underworld and could reshape the equilibrium of powerfulness among rival cartels.