How Mexico killed the powerful cartel leader ‘El Mencho’ and what it means
MEXICO CITY (AP) — As the Mexican military scored a major victory Sunday by killing the country’s most powerful cartel leader and one of the most wanted U.S. fugitives, cartel members responded with a wave of violence across the country.
Murder of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader The attempt to capture Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes in the state of Jalisco was the highest-profile blow against the cartels. recapture of former Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán ten years ago.
Gunmen following the death of Oseguera Cervantes unleashed violence nationwide. Vehicles burned by cartel members blocked the roads It caused smoke to rise into the air in 20 Mexican states. People in Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city and the capital of Jalisco, locked themselves in their homes and schools were closed in many states on Monday as security forces were put on alert throughout the country. Even Guatemala has increased security at its border with Mexico.
The murder could give the government a boost in its dealings with the US Trump administration. threaten tariffs or unilateral military action If Mexico does not show results in the fight against the cartels.
However, the long-term impact on Mexico’s security environment remains unclear.
Here’s what you need to know:
‘El Mencho’ was the leader of a rapidly growing criminal group
Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho,” was 59 years old and originally from the western state of Michoacan. Its ties to organized crime go back at least three decades.
In 1994, he was tried for heroin trafficking in the United States and sentenced to three years in prison. After returning to Mexico, he quickly rose through the ranks of Mexico’s drug trafficking underworld.
Around 2009 he founded: Jalisco New Generation CartelIt has become Mexico’s fastest-growing criminal organization, transporting cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and immigrants to the United States and innovating in violence using drones and improvised explosive devices.
The cartel gained notoriety for its brazen attacks on Mexican security forces. shooting down military helicopter In Jalisco in 2015 spectacular but unsuccessful assassination Mexico City Police Chief Omar García Harfuch, who is now Mexico’s federal security minister.
Aggressively recruited, tried out New ways to reach potential members onlineand generated revenue through fuel theft, extortion, and timeshare fraud, among other activities.
Oseguera Cervantes died in battle with soldiers sent to capture him.
Oseguera Cervantes was killed during an attempt to capture him, while his followers tried to fight off Mexican soldiers.
In the statement made by the Mexican Ministry of Defense, it was stated that the army launched an operation with the participation of the Mexican Air Force and special forces to capture Oseguera Cervantes in the southern part of the state of Jalisco.
According to the statement, the cartel counterattacked, and in the ensuing firefight federal forces killed four members of the criminal organization and wounded three others, including its leader, who later died during air transfer to Mexico City.
3 soldiers were injured in the action and 2 people were detained. Rocket launchers capable of shooting down aircraft and destroying armored vehicles were seized at the scene.
Mexico is willing to show Trump’s results in the fight against cartels
Oseguera Cervantes will help the Mexican government show results to the United States, which is pressuring its neighbor to more aggressively pursue drug cartels. Both countries said intelligence cooperation helped Sunday’s operation.
Oseguera Cervantes was facing numerous charges in the United States and the US State Department had made an offer. $15 million prize For information leading to his arrest. The Trump administration designated the cartel and other foreign terrorist organizations a year ago.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who was the U.S. ambassador to Mexico during the first Trump administration, applauded the operation via X, writing: “The good guys are stronger than the bad guys. Congratulations to the law and order forces of the great nation of Mexico.”
Mike Vigil, the DEA’s former chief of international operations, said Mexico was sending “a strong message to the Donald Trump administration that it is fighting aggressively and effectively against the most powerful cartels.” He added that “the majority of the information comes from the Mexican armed forces and all credit goes to Mexico.”
Cartel leader’s death leaves power vacuum
It is unclear who will replace Oseguera Cervantes or whether anyone will come.
The Jalisco cartel maintains a presence in at least 21 of Mexico’s 32 states and is active in nearly the entire United States, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. But it is also a global organization, and the loss of its leader is felt beyond Mexico.
“El Mencho controlled everything, he was like the dictator of a country,” Vigil said.
His absence could slow the rapid growth and expansion of the cartel and cause the cartel to initially weaken against the Sinaloa cartel on the various fronts on which they or their proxies are fighting. Sinaloa is locked on its own internal power struggleBut between the sons of “El Chapo” and the faction loyal to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who is in US custody.
Vigil said Mexico must seize the moment to launch “an effective frontal attack based on intelligence.”
“This would be a great opportunity for Mexico and the United States if they work together,” he said.
Security analyst David Saucedo said the violence seen Sunday could continue if Oseguera Cervantes’ relatives gain control of the cartel. If others seize power, they may be more willing to turn the page and continue operations.
The greatest fear would be that the cartel would turn to indiscriminate violence. They may decide to “launch narcoterrorism attacks… and produce a scenario similar to what Colombia experienced in the 1990s”; an attack on the government filled with “car bombs, assassinations and plane strikes”.
