Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, one of the world’s most feared drug lords and the longtime leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was killed Sunday during a Mexican military operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco. His death marks the end of a violent chapter in Mexico’s drug war — but it may not signal the collapse of the powerful criminal empire he built.
Born in July 1966 in Michoacán, Oseguera’s path to cartel leadership was far from conventional. He spent time in the United States during the 1990s and was convicted in California in 1994 for conspiracy to distribute heroin, serving three years in prison. After returning to Mexico, he briefly worked as a police officer in Jalisco before reentering the criminal underworld.
Over time, Oseguera rose through the ranks of organized crime, reportedly serving as a chief enforcer for the Milenio Cartel and later working closely with figures linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. Following the arrest of Sinaloa leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, Oseguera consolidated power and expanded his own organization, eventually transforming CJNG into one of the most dominant and violent cartels in Mexico.
CJNG emerged in the early 2010s from the remnants of the Milenio Cartel. With strategic alliances — including ties to the financial network known as Los Cuinis — and strengthened by Oseguera’s marriage into a powerful cartel-connected family, the group rapidly expanded its reach. Authorities say the cartel operates in dozens of countries and plays a major role in trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl into the United States.
The cartel became notorious for its brazen displays of force. In 2015, its gunmen shot down a Mexican military helicopter during clashes with security forces, killing several soldiers. CJNG has also been linked to high-profile kidnappings, assassinations of public officials and violent turf wars across Mexico.
Because of his central role in fueling the fentanyl trade, US authorities placed a $15 million bounty on Oseguera and indicted him multiple times on drug trafficking and conspiracy charges. In 2025, the United States designated CJNG as a terrorist organization, increasing pressure on Mexico to curb cartel violence and drug flows across the border.
Despite his global notoriety, Oseguera remained elusive for years, with only a handful of confirmed photographs circulating publicly. His low profile and tight security made him one of the most difficult cartel leaders to capture.
His death has already triggered unrest in parts of Mexico, underscoring CJNG’s continued operational strength. Experts warn that eliminating a kingpin does not automatically dismantle a cartel. CJNG’s structure — often compared to a franchise model made up of numerous semi-independent cells — could allow it to continue functioning even without its longtime leader.
While the killing of “El Mencho” represents a significant symbolic victory for Mexican authorities, the broader fight against organized crime — and the lucrative drug networks that stretch far beyond Mexico’s borders — is far from over.
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