Mexico’s Most-Wanted Drug Lord, ‘El Mencho,’ Killed in Military Operation
Mexican soldiers have killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and one of the most wanted men in Mexico and the United States, the Mexican Ministry of Defence announced on Sunday, February 22, 2026.
The ministry stated that military personnel repelled an attack during an operation aimed at securing Oseguera’s detention in Tapalpa, in the state of Jalisco. Several members of the CJNG were also killed in the operation, including Oseguera himself.
Oseguera was initially wounded during the operation but died while being transferred by air to Mexico City, according to the ministry’s statement. Three other individuals were wounded and later died, while two were arrested. The operation also resulted in the seizure of armored vehicles, rocket launchers, and other weaponry.
The Mexican Embassy in Washington confirmed that the United States provided information that assisted in the military operation leading to Oseguera’s death. “In addition to central military intelligence efforts, complementary information was provided by US authorities within the framework of bilateral coordination and cooperation with the United States,” the embassy said in a post on X.
Oseguera, 59, had a $15 million bounty on his head. He is considered one of the biggest drug suspects to be taken down since the capture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and Ismael Zambada, founders of the Sinaloa Cartel, both of whom are currently serving time in the United States.
The killing of Oseguera triggered a wave of violence in Jalisco and neighboring states. People with guns set cars and trucks on fire, blocking several roads – a tactic commonly used by cartels to impede police movements and disrupt security operations. The violence spread to Michoacan, where the CJNG also maintains a presence.
The CJNG, formed in 2009, has become one of Mexico’s most violent drug trafficking organizations, according to the US Justice Department. US officials have formally classified the cartel as a terrorist organization, accusing it of trafficking vast quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl from Mexico into the United States.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau called the killing of Oseguera “a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world” in a post on X. He also expressed sadness and concern over scenes of violence emerging from Mexico.
The military operation against Oseguera follows a sustained pressure campaign from the Trump administration on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government to intensify its crackdown on drug trafficking, which included threats of direct US intervention in Mexico.
Three members of the armed forces were wounded during the operation and are receiving medical treatment. Authorities in Jalisco have canceled school for Monday due to the ongoing unrest.
