Mexican authorities said on Sunday that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho and head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.
Several Mexican media outlets reported that the 59-year-old cartel leader was killed in Tapalpa, a cartel stronghold, though authorities have not released detailed operational information.
Four cartel members were killed and three soldiers were wounded according to authorities.
Mexico’s defence ministry said the mission was planned and carried out by special forces with support from Air Force aircraft and National Guard units. Officials said that armoured vehicles and heavy weapons, including rocket launchers, were seized. The Mexican Embassy in Washington said U.S. intelligence assistance supported the operation.
The U.S. State Department had offered a $15 million (£11.1 million) reward for information leading to his capture.
The operation triggered unrest in several areas where the cartel is active.
Road blockades were reported in Jalisco, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Michoacán and Tamaulipas. Vehicles were burned to block highways, and thick smoke was seen over Puerto Vallarta. Transport services were disrupted and some flights to the coastal city were suspended.
Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro urged residents to stay indoors as public transport was suspended while security forces worked to restore order.
The U.S. State Department advised Americans to shelter in place in parts of Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau expressed concern over the violence but said the operation represented a positive development for Mexico, the United States and the wider region.
President Claudia Sheinbaum called for calm, saying most of the country was operating normally.
Oseguera Cervantes was considered one of the world’s most wanted drug traffickers and among Mexico’s most violent criminal figures.
A former police officer, he rose to prominence in the early 1990s and later became leader of CJNG after it split from the now-defunct Milenio Cartel.
The cartel expanded rapidly under his leadership, becoming one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal networks and a major player in international drug trafficking. The group has been linked to the production and distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl.
Cervantes faced multiple U.S. indictments since 2017 in the District of Columbia. The latest, in 2022, accused him of conspiracy to manufacture and traffic controlled substances, including methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, for illegal importation into the United States, along with firearms-related offences.
The Drug Enforcement Administration considers CJNG a major rival to the Sinaloa Cartel, which operates across all 50 U.S. states.
The cartel, founded in Jalisco in 2010, now operates widely across Mexico and is a major supplier of drugs to the United States, earning billions from fentanyl production and trafficking.
In February, U.S. authorities designated CJNG a foreign terrorist organisation, citing attacks on security forces and the use of explosives and drones in confrontations with Mexican authorities.
In a sweeping diplomatic push in Baku, Georgia and Azerbaijan have signed a landmark package of energy and transport agreements, cementing a partne...
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialo...
The first-ever “WUF13 NGO Forum” in the history of the World Urban Forum (WUF) was held on 19 May 2026 at Azerbaijan’s initiative...
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance...
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for closer security coordination between Central Asia and China, warning that expanding trade and...
In a sweeping diplomatic push in Baku, Georgia and Azerbaijan have signed a landmark package of energy and transport agreements, cementing a partnership set to shape the South Caucasus corridor for decades to come.
The first-ever “WUF13 NGO Forum” in the history of the World Urban Forum (WUF) was held on 19 May 2026 at Azerbaijan’s initiative in Baku.
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance’s south-eastern flank, German officials have said.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for closer security coordination between Central Asia and China, warning that expanding trade and infrastructure links are exposing the region to increasingly sophisticated cross-border threats.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack on Iran after appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, allowing negotiations to continue over a possible deal to end the conflict.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou to evacuate as rescue efforts continued.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the situation poses a significant risk of cross-border spread in Central Africa.
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance’s south-eastern flank, German officials have said.
Estonia said on Tuesday (19 May) that a NATO fighter jet shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over its territory, in the latest reported airspace violation in the region amid ongoing Ukrainian strikes against Russia.
Sweden has agreed to buy four naval frigates from France’s Naval Group in a deal worth more than $4 billion, as Stockholm moves to strengthen its defence capabilities in the Baltic Sea, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday.
Spanish police said on Tuesday they had detained a 25-year-old man suspected of killing his two parents and injuring four other people, including his son, in a shooting in the southern city of El Ejido in Almeria province overnight.
European Union negotiators are expected to agree on Tuesday (19 May) on legislation removing import duties on U.S. industrial goods, in a move aimed at implementing last year’s trade agreement with the United States and avoiding higher tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment