El Mencho
Who was El Mencho? Mexico's most wanted drug lord, with USD 15 million bounty, killed
Mexico's most wanted man, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes—known as "El Mencho" and the leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) cartel—has been killed during a security operation, according to media reports.
Oseguera Cervantes died on Sunday while being transported to Mexico City after sustaining serious injuries in clashes between his supporters and the army, the BBC reported.
La Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional reportó el operativo llevado a cabo esta mañana por fuerzas federales, que derivó en diversos bloqueos y otras reacciones.
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) February 22, 2026
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The confrontation in Tapalpa town resulted in the deaths of four CJNG members, while three army personnel were injured. U.S. authorities had provided information to Mexico that led to the operation.
In retaliation, CJNG operatives reportedly set vehicles on fire, built roadblocks, and attacked security forces across eight states, the BBC said.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo called for calm. "The Ministry of National Defense reported on the operation carried out this morning by federal forces, which resulted in various roadblocks and other incidents," she said. "There is full coordination with the governments of all states; we must remain informed and calm."
The U.S. State Department had previously offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Oseguera Cervantes.
Oseguera Cervantes was a founding member and the current leader of CJNG, which was formed in 2009 and has since become one of Mexico’s most violent drug cartels. The group is considered to have the highest trafficking capacity for cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in Mexico and has increasingly trafficked fentanyl into the United States.
Under Oseguera Cervantes’ leadership, CJNG has been responsible for numerous homicides of rival cartel members and Mexican law enforcement officers. More recently, operatives allegedly acting under his orders were involved in assassination attempts on government officials.
Since 2017, Oseguera Cervantes has faced multiple indictments in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The most recent superseding indictment, filed on April 5, 2022, charges him with conspiracy and distribution of controlled substances—including methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl—for unlawful importation into the United States, as well as use of firearms in relation to drug trafficking crimes.
He is also charged under the Drug Kingpin Statute for operating a continuing criminal enterprise.
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