Chaos Erupts Across Mexico As Cartel Retaliates After ‘El Mencho’ Death In Army Raid
In a significant blow to organized crime, Mexican armed forces killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho,” the longtime leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during a military operation on Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco state.
According to Mexico’s Defense Ministry, Oseguera was wounded in a clash with special forces and died en route to Mexico City for medical treatment. Four cartel members were killed at the scene, with two others arrested, and authorities seized armored vehicles, rocket launchers, and other weapons.
The operation’s success immediately provoked a fierce response from CJNG operatives. In nearly a dozen states, suspected cartel gunmen set vehicles ablaze, vandalized buildings, and blocked highways—a standard tactic to hinder security force movements. Smoke rose over Puerto Vallarta, while gunfire echoed in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco, where cartel members torched petrol stations, pharmacies, supermarkets, and other properties.
Eyewitness accounts described armed men storming businesses and ordering people to flee. Maria Medina, an employee at a gas station that was set on fire, recounted to AFP how gunmen arrived and forced everyone out: “I thought they were going to kidnap us. I ran to a taco stand to take cover with the people there.”
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Violence extended to transportation hubs, with reports of cartel members entering Guadalajara’s international airport, forcing passengers to take cover. In some areas, heavy machinery was used to dig up and destroy roads, rendering them impassable.
Schools in Guadalajara were canceled, public transportation suspended, and residents urged to stay indoors. Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus described the situation as “critical hours,” while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called for calm and confirmed coordination between federal and state authorities.
The CJNG, under Oseguera’s command, had grown into one of Mexico’s most aggressive and powerful criminal groups, rivaling the Sinaloa cartel in reach and influence. It pioneered tactics such as drone-launched explosives and road mines, and was a major supplier of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to the United States, operating in all 50 states.
The U.S. State Department had placed a bounty of up to $15 million on Oseguera’s capture. In February, the Trump administration designated the CJNG a foreign terrorist organization amid heightened pressure on Mexico to curb drug flows, including threats of tariffs on Mexican exports.
The killing comes amid U.S. intelligence support for Mexican efforts against cartels, though it has led to immediate disruptions, including flight cancellations by U.S. and Canadian airlines to affected areas.