A romantic partner of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), provided the crucial lead that allowed Mexican armed forces to locate and kill him, authorities announced Monday. The operation, which took place Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco, involved intelligence sharing with the United States and a coordinated effort by Mexican Army and National Guard special forces.
Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo detailed the operation during a press conference, explaining that military intelligence identified a man close to one of Oseguera Cervantes’s romantic partners. This individual transported the woman to a property in Tapalpa on Friday, where she met with “El Mencho.” Authorities then obtained information confirming Oseguera Cervantes remained at the location, bolstered by “additional very important information” provided by U.S. Intelligence agencies, Trevilla said.
The following day, Saturday, the woman left the property, prompting the military to begin planning a raid. Oseguera Cervantes remained at the location with a security detail. A joint force comprised of Army and National Guard special forces was assembled, supported by six helicopters and air force reconnaissance aircraft.
The operation commenced Sunday night, with confirmation of Oseguera Cervantes’s presence. A firefight erupted as authorities approached, and Oseguera Cervantes attempted to flee with two bodyguards. Eight cartel members were killed at the scene, including four discovered after the initial assessment, bringing the total to twelve fatalities among cartel members. The CJNG possessed a significant arsenal, including two rocket launchers – one similar to the type used in 2015 to down a military helicopter, demonstrating the cartel’s willingness to engage in direct confrontation with the armed forces.
Oseguera Cervantes and his bodyguards were wounded during the exchange and transported by helicopter to receive medical attention. However, all three died en route. Authorities initially planned to transport them to a hospital in Guadalajara but redirected the flight to Mexico City, fearing a retaliatory response from the cartel.
Almost immediately following the news of Oseguera Cervantes’s death, violence erupted across Mexico. Authorities intercepted communications indicating a CJNG operative, identified only as “El Tuli,” was offering more than $1,000 USD – 20,000 pesos – for each member of the military killed. This prompted widespread attacks, including road blockades, vehicle fires, and assaults on military and National Guard installations in at least seven states.
The violence resulted in the deaths of 25 National Guard troops, a prison official, a state prosecutor’s office employee, and a civilian in Jalisco. Four additional suspected cartel members were killed in the neighboring state of Michoacán, with fifteen security personnel injured.
Security forces located and killed “El Tuli” in a subsequent operation. He was found in possession of nearly $1 million USD and the equivalent of $400,000 USD in Mexican pesos, along with a cache of weapons.
Both Mexico and the United States had been pursuing Oseguera Cervantes for years, with outstanding arrest warrants in both countries on charges related to organized crime and drug trafficking.
