Gunshots rang out Monday in the Mexican town of Tapalpa, Jalisco, a day after the Mexican army killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). More than 70 people have died in violence connected to the operation to capture El Mencho and its aftermath, authorities reported.
The death of El Mencho, long sought by both Mexican and U.S. Authorities, follows months of escalating pressure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump for Mexico to dismantle its powerful drug cartels. Trump had publicly demanded that Mexico take action, threatening unilateral intervention if the country failed to address the issue. Following the operation, Trump wrote on social media, “Mexico must step up their effort on Cartels and Drugs!”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government, aided by U.S. Intelligence, carried out the operation against El Mencho. The move represents a significant policy shift, following a year of intense pressure from Washington. However, the violence that erupted after the attempt to capture El Mencho – including the blocking of roads in 20 states and the burning of vehicles – underscores the potential costs of a forceful crackdown.
Even as El Mencho’s death may temporarily ease political pressure from the U.S., a sustained and widespread crackdown on cartels could create new political and economic risks for Sheinbaum. Widespread violence could alienate voters and disrupt Mexico’s economy, as well as its co-hosting of the FIFA World Cup this summer. Sheinbaum has previously criticized the “kingpin” strategy employed by prior administrations, arguing that removing cartel leaders often leads to fragmentation and increased violence.
The CJNG, under El Mencho’s leadership, had become one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico, trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the United States. The organization is also known for staging brazen attacks against Mexican government officials. The body count from the recent violence includes security forces, suspected cartel members, and civilians, though officials have not released detailed breakdowns of the circumstances surrounding each death.
Despite the high-profile capture, experts caution that eliminating cartel leaders does not necessarily stop the flow of drugs or dismantle the organizations themselves, which have deeply embedded corruption within Mexican business, law enforcement, and politics. The situation remains fluid, with Mexican security forces continuing to engage cartel gunmen in the aftermath of El Mencho’s death.
