MEXICO CITY — Mexican security forces killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the long-elusive leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) known as "El Mencho," during a military operation in southern Jalisco state on Sunday, February 22, 2026, ending one of the most intensive manhunts in the country's drug war history.

Mexico Kills Top Drug Cartel Leader ‘El Mencho’
Mexico Kills Top Drug Cartel Leader ‘El Mencho’

The 59-year-old Oseguera died from multiple gunshot wounds sustained in a pre-dawn raid near the rural municipality of Tapalpa, about 120 kilometers southwest of Guadalajara, the Mexican Defense Ministry confirmed in a late-afternoon statement. A federal official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the operation remained active, told Reuters and the Associated Press that Oseguera was fatally wounded during an exchange of fire with special forces and died while being medically evacuated by helicopter to Mexico City. Forensic confirmation of identity was completed using biometric records and DNA samples, authorities said.

The operation, led by elite units of the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena), targeted a suspected high-value safe house in a mountainous area long considered a CJNG stronghold. When troops made contact, a firefight erupted. Several of Oseguera's bodyguards were killed and others wounded, but officials did not release a full casualty count or specify whether the raid was intended as a capture mission or a lethal takedown.

Hours after the raid, suspected CJNG members retaliated with widespread violence. Dozens of roadblocks appeared across Jalisco, Colima and Michoacán, with burning vehicles used to block highways. Gunmen briefly seized control of sections of the Guadalajara airport access road and disrupted traffic near Puerto Vallarta. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico issued an immediate shelter-in-place advisory for American citizens in Jalisco and neighboring states, warning of "potential retaliatory attacks by cartel members."

President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration described the operation as a "decisive blow against organized crime" but has not yet held a formal press conference. Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro of Jalisco posted on social media urging residents to avoid non-essential travel in southern Jalisco, signaling that military and police remained on high alert.

Oseguera had been one of the world's most wanted fugitives for more than a decade. The United States offered a $15 million reward — one of the largest ever placed on a drug trafficker — for information leading to his arrest or conviction. Mexico offered 300 million pesos (approximately $15 million). He faced multiple U.S. indictments for drug trafficking conspiracy, money laundering and continuing criminal enterprise, accused of overseeing the CJNG's role in flooding the United States with fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Under Oseguera's command, the CJNG — which he co-founded in 2010 after splintering from the Milenio Cartel — grew into Mexico's most powerful and violent criminal organization. The group pioneered large-scale fentanyl production using Chinese precursor chemicals, controlled major Pacific ports such as Manzanillo and employed extreme public violence — including helicopter attacks, mass executions and vehicle bombings — to seize territory from rivals including the Sinaloa Cartel, Los Zetas and the Knights Templar.

His low-profile lifestyle — rarely photographed, communicating through encrypted channels and moving between remote mountain hideouts — made him exceptionally difficult to locate. He was protected by layers of loyal sicarios and widespread corruption of local officials, judges and police.

The killing comes amid intense U.S. pressure on Mexico to curb fentanyl flows, including threats of military action inside Mexico and the designation of several cartels as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration. It also bolsters Sheinbaum's strategy of intelligence-led, precision operations rather than large-scale confrontations.

Security analysts cautioned that Oseguera's death is unlikely to dismantle the CJNG. The cartel's decentralized structure, deep infiltration of local governments and vast financial resources mean successors — likely family members or top lieutenants — could quickly assume control. Fragmentation often triggers internal wars and increased violence, as seen after previous high-profile takedowns.

The CJNG's immediate response — coordinated roadblocks, airport disruptions and potential attacks on security forces — underscores the group's capacity for rapid retaliation. Authorities expect heightened violence in western Mexico in the coming days as factions position for power.

Oseguera's reported demise marks a pivotal moment in Mexico's long struggle against drug cartels. While it disrupts leadership and may temporarily weaken supply chains, history suggests the organization will adapt rather than collapse. For the government, the operation is a landmark achievement; for communities living under cartel control, the question remains whether the violence will subside or intensify.