Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” one of the world’s most wanted drug traffickers, was killed Sunday during a Mexican military operation in Jalisco, according to Mexico’s defence ministry. The 59-year-old led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), widely considered Mexico’s most powerful and violent criminal group.

Special forces launched the raid in Tapalpa, about 80 miles southwest of Guadalajara, reportedly with intelligence support from U.S. authorities. Troops came under heavy fire, killing four alleged cartel members at the scene. Three others, including El Mencho, later died while being transported to Mexico City. Two suspects were arrested, and authorities seized military-grade weapons, including rocket launchers.

The operation triggered immediate retaliation. Cartel members set up “narco-roadblocks” using burning vehicles across at least eight states, including Jalisco, Guanajuato and Michoacán. Dramatic footage showed smoke rising over Puerto Vallarta and chaos in Guadalajara, a 2026 World Cup host city. Flights were canceled and U.S. and Canadian officials urged citizens to shelter in place.

The U.S. had offered a $15 million reward for El Mencho’s capture. Officials in Washington hailed the operation as a major blow to fentanyl trafficking networks. Analysts called it the most significant strike against Mexico’s cartels in over a decade — though fears remain that his death could spark violent power struggles within CJNG and beyond.

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