El Mencho Dead: CJNG Leader Killed in Mexico Military Operation | Updates

The leader of the Jalisco Modern Generation Cartel (CJNG), Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” was killed Sunday in a military operation in western Mexico, a federal official confirmed to the Associated Press. The operation, conducted in the state of Jalisco, triggered a wave of violence across at least 13 states, including road blockades and vehicle burnings, tactics frequently employed by the cartel to disrupt military actions.

The death of El Mencho, long sought by both Mexican and U.S. Authorities, marks a significant blow to one of Mexico’s most powerful and rapidly expanding criminal organizations. The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest, recognizing the cartel’s extensive trafficking of fentanyl and other drugs into the United States, as reported by CBS News.

Following the announcement of El Mencho’s death, videos circulated on social media depicting plumes of smoke rising over Puerto Vallarta, a major tourist destination in Jalisco, and scenes of panic at the city’s airport. Air Canada suspended flights to Puerto Vallarta on Sunday afternoon, advising passengers to avoid the airport due to the “ongoing security situation.”

CJNG emerged around 2011 after splintering from the Milenio Cartel, quickly establishing itself as a formidable force through aggressive tactics and a willingness to challenge the Mexican state. The cartel has been a pioneer in the use of drones for explosives and the deployment of landmines, demonstrating a level of sophistication and brutality that has set it apart from other criminal groups. In 2020, CJNG carried out a brazen assassination attempt in Mexico City targeting the then-head of the capital’s police force, now the head of federal security, utilizing grenades and high-powered rifles.

U.S. Authorities consider CJNG to be as powerful as the Sinaloa Cartel, another notorious Mexican criminal organization, with a presence in all 50 U.S. States. Both cartels are major suppliers of cocaine to the U.S. Market and generate billions of dollars through the production of fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Oseguera Cervantes’s criminal history extends back decades. He initially entered the U.S. Illegally in the 1980s, spending years in California before being arrested on drug charges and deported. He re-entered the U.S. Illegally and was again arrested in 1992, serving three years in prison before being deported to Mexico a second time, as detailed by Rolling Stone. Upon his return to Mexico, he began his ascent within the criminal underworld.

Since 2017, Oseguera Cervantes faced multiple indictments in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The most recent indictment, filed in April 2022, charged him with conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl for illegal importation into the United States, as well as firearms offenses related to drug trafficking. He was too charged under the Drug Kingpin Enforcement Act for leading a continuing criminal enterprise.

The immediate aftermath of El Mencho’s death remains uncertain. While Mexican authorities have seized armored vehicles, rocket launchers, and other weapons from alleged cartel members, the extent of potential retaliatory violence is yet to be seen. The operation’s success, however, does not guarantee an end to the CJNG’s influence or the broader challenges facing Mexico in its fight against organized crime.