Mexican forces kill ‘El Mencho, leader of Jalisco New Generation Cartel, official says – The Mercury News
By FABIOLA SÁNCHEZThe Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexican soldiers killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel – Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho” – on the job Sunday, a government official said, removing what has become the most powerful cartel in Mexico and giving the government its biggest reward so far to show the Trump administration for its efforts.
The official, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak publicly, said this happened during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco, where a cart that smuggles a lot of fentanyl and cocaine to the United States is based.
The killing of a drug veteran followed several hours of roadblocks and burning cars in Jalisco and other states. Such tactics are often used by cartels to thwart military operations.
Videos circulating on social media showed smoke billowing from the tourist town of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, and people running from the airport in the state capital in panic. On Sunday afternoon, Air Canada announced it would suspend flights to Puerto Vallarta “due to the ongoing security situation” and advised customers to stay away from its airport.
The US State Department had issued a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to El Mencho’s arrest. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG, is one of the most powerful and fastest growing criminal organizations in Mexico and was born in 2009.
In February, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, like her predecessor, criticized the “kingdom” strategy of the previous administration that took cartel leaders to cause an explosion of violence as the boxes were broken. Although he is still popular in Mexico, security is an ongoing problem and since US President Donald Trump took office last year, he has been under great pressure to show the effects of drug trafficking.
The Jalisco cartel has been one of the most aggressive in its military attacks – including helicopters – and is a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and planting mines. In 2020, he made a spectacular assassination attempt with bombs and high-powered guns in the heart of Mexico City against the former head of the capital’s police and now the federal security secretary.
The DEA considers the cartel as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico’s most notorious criminal gangs, which is present in all 50 US states. It is one of the largest suppliers of cocaine to the US market and, as a Sinaloa cartel, it earns billions from the production of fentanyl and methamphetamines. Sinaloa, however, has been weakened by conflict after losing its leaders Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, both of whom were imprisoned in the US.
Oseguera Cervantes has been heavily involved in drug trafficking activities since the 1990s. He was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin in the US District Court for the Northern District of California in 1994 and served nearly three years in prison. After being released from custody, Oseguera Cervantes returned to Mexico and again became involved in drug trafficking.
As of 2017, Oseguera Cervantes has been indicted several times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
The latest superseding indictment, filed on April 5, 2022, charges Oseguera Cervantes with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances (methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl) with intent to illegally import into the United States and using firearms during and in connection with drug trafficking offenses. Oseguera Cervantes is also charged under the Drug Kingpin Enforcement Act for directing a continuing criminal enterprise.
The US State Department warned US citizens in the states of Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon to stay in safe areas due to ongoing security operations.
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AP writer María Verza contributed to this report.
