Mexican special forces killed drug lord Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as 'El Mencho', on Sunday. The 59-year-old former police officer was the co-founder and leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which has become Mexico's most powerful criminal organisation in recent years.
The CJNG is known for its ultraviolence and military-style arsenal, including rocket launchers and drones capable of launching explosives. In 2015, cartel members shot down an army helicopter with a rocket launcher during an attempt to capture El Mencho. In 2020, the group carried out an assassination attempt against Mexico City's police chief using grenades and high-powered rifles.
El Mencho originally hailed from Aguililla, Michoacán. He was convicted in the US in 1994 for heroin trafficking and served nearly three years in prison. After returning to Mexico, he co-founded the CJNG around 2007, initially working for the Sinaloa cartel before splitting and engaging in a prolonged territorial battle.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration considers the CJNG as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, with a presence in all 50 US states. It is a major supplier of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamines. El Mencho had been indicted multiple times in the US, most recently in April 2022 on charges including drug trafficking and firearms offences.
