Ruben “Nemesio” Oseguera Cervantes, the powerful leader of the CJNG known as “El Mencho,” was killed Sunday in an operation by the Mexican military, according to authorities. He had risen to prominence following the capture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the former head of the rival Sinaloa Cartel.
During Oseguera’s command, the CJNG expanded aggressively throughout Mexico, fighting the Sinaloa Cartel for dominance over key drug trafficking routes into the United States and solidifying its reputation as one of the planet’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations.
His death signifies the downfall of one of the most influential and difficult-to-capture cartel leaders of the post-El Chapo period, long considered by U.S. and Mexican authorities to be a principal figure behind fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau stated he was notified that Mexican security forces had killed Oseguera, describing it as a major victory.
“I’ve just been informed that Mexican security forces have killed ‘El Mencho,’ one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins,” Landau posted on X. “This is a great development for Mexico, the U.S., Latin America and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys.”
A senior State Department official independently confirmed Oseguera’s death and pointed to Landau’s comments.
On Sunday, the State Department issued a travel alert for several Mexican states, advising U.S. citizens to remain where they are because of “ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity.” The alert included parts of Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo León.
Oseguera, who was once a police officer, assisted in founding the CJNG around 2009 after breaking away from the Sinaloa Cartel. In subsequent years, the organization grew from a regional group into one of the world’s most dominant trafficking networks.
The U.S. government progressively raised the reward for information that could lead to his capture, eventually offering as much as $15 million, which ranked him among the globe’s most wanted fugitives.
Former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration official Paul Craine previously labeled Oseguera “public enemy No. 1” and stated he led an “army of thousands.”
He has been connected by authorities to coordinated assaults on Mexican security forces, such as a 2015 attack in Jalisco where cartel members used rocket-propelled grenades to shoot down a military helicopter.
Over the years, the CJNG became known for demonstrating its power through overt shows of force and messaging on social media, strengthening its image as one of Mexico’s most feared criminal groups.
His death eliminates a dominant figure from Mexico’s criminal underworld and has the potential to alter the balance of power between competing cartels.