Major Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as “,”, was killed in a military operation on Sunday morning, Mexico’s Defense Department announced—representing one of the country’s most significant strikes against organized crime amid pressure from the President to escalate cartel crackdowns.
The announcement coincided with government warnings of clashes in Jalisco state and widespread criminal activity nationwide, leading the U.S. Embassy in Mexico to issue shelter-in-place alerts for several states.
On Sunday, Mexican troops carried out operations in Tapalpa, Jalisco, targeting Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes—a former police officer who became the elusive leader of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), a top fentanyl supplier to the United States.
Dubbed “El Mencho,” Oseguera Cervantes had a $15 million U.S. bounty on his head and ascended to power after the arrest of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. Over the last 15 years, CJNG has evolved from a local criminal gang into a global trafficking network based in its Jalisco stronghold.
“I’ve just been informed that Mexican security forces have killed ‘El Mencho,’ one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said in a post on X. “This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys.”
The Mexican Defense Department stated the operation was part of bilateral coordination and collaboration with the U.S., whose officials provided supporting intelligence that aided in Oseguera Cervantes’ capture.
During the capture, the CJNG leader was wounded and died while being transported to Mexico City, the Defense Department noted.
Four others were reportedly killed at the scene of a shootout between Mexican troops and criminal suspects in Jalisco, while Oseguera Cervantes was among three additional people who were wounded and later died.
Authorities reported detaining two other members of the criminal group and seizing various weapons, including armored vehicles and “rocket launchers able to shoot down aircraft and destroy armored vehicles.”
As a result, three members of the were injured and are being treated.
Widespread criminal activity has been documented in Jalisco—the cartel’s stronghold—and in northern areas that act as critical border and transit routes for the group.
Mexico’s Government Security Cabinet noted that numerous buildings were damaged during the “violent incidents,” including around 20 branches of Banco del Bienestar, a state-owned bank.
At least 21 highways are still blocked, though authorities say five have already been reopened.
Photos depicted numerous roadblocks and burning vehicles—with dark smoke billowing into the sky—across the country; officials say cartels frequently use such tactics to slow or hinder military operations.
Photos and videos shared with Digital show thick, dark smoke rising above the skyline of the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific Coast in Jalisco.
“I’m watching the scenes of violence from Mexico with great sadness and concern. It’s not surprising that the bad guys are responding with terror. But we must never lose our nerve,” Landau said.
The Mexican National Guard and Army units from central Mexico and Jalisco’s neighboring states are currently deploying to bolster security, the Defense Department stated.
“We remain in Code Red. We repeat our advice to stay home. Clashes are happening in multiple federal entities,” Jalisco State Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro added.
for Jalisco, including , Chapala, and Guadalajara; Tamaulipas, including Reynosa and other municipalities; and parts of Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León.
“Due to ongoing and associated road blockages and criminal activity, U.S. citizens in the mentioned areas should shelter in place until further instruction,” the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico advised.
The operation targeting Oseguera comes after sustained pressure from the Trump administration on President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government, pushing Mexico to intensify its fight against drug trafficking amid threats of possible U.S. involvement.