The Mexican army on Sunday killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, a powerful drug lord and one of the United States’ most wanted fugitives, during an operation that led to unrest across the country, including vehicles being set on fire and roads being obstructed by cartel members.
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho,” was 59 years old and his links to organised crime dated back more than 30 years. In 1994, he faced trial in the US for heroin trafficking and served a three-year prison term. After he returned to Mexico, he climbed the ranks of the country’s drug trade networks. Follow live updates here.
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How was ‘El Mencho’ killed? A blow-by-blow account
In a statement, Mexico’s defence department said that the army carried out an operation in the southern area of Jalisco state to capture “El Mencho,” using the Mexican Air Force and special forces.
The cartel struck back, and during the clash, federal forces shot dead four members of the crime group and injured three others, including its leader, who later died while being flown to Mexico City, the statement said.
Three soldiers were injured, and two people were taken into custody during the action. Rocket launchers able to bring down aircraft and destroy armoured vehicles were also recovered at the site, the army said in a statement.
‘El Mencho’ died during an attempt to capture him, as his followers tried to resist Mexican troops.
The Mexican government said the United States had shared intelligence that supported the operation against Oseguera. US officials told The New York Times that it was a Mexican mission and that no American troops took part in the operation.
Within hours of Oseguera’s death, gunmen believed to be his supporters blocked highways in several states and set fire to cars and businesses. In some towns, tourists and locals were advised to remain indoors, while truck drivers were told to use safe routes or head back to their depots until the violence eased.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged people to stay calm and said the central government was working closely with state authorities.
Several airlines, including Air Canada, United Airlines and Aeromexico, cancelled flights on Sunday to Puerto Vallarta, a seaside resort town where shocked tourists recorded thick smoke rising into the sky from fires.
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What death of ‘El Mencho’ means for Mexico and its ties with US
Oseguera Cervantes’ death will help Mexico’s government show progress to the US, which is pushing its neighbour to act more strongly against drug cartels. Both nations said intelligence cooperation helped lead to Sunday’s operation.
Cervantes faced multiple indictments in the United States, and the US state department had announced a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest. The Trump administration classified his cartel and others as foreign terrorist organisations a year earlier.
US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau, who served as America’s ambassador to Mexico during the first Trump administration, praised the operation on X, writing, “The good guys are stronger than the bad guys. Congratulations to the forces of law and order in the great Mexican nation.”
It remains unclear who will succeed Oseguera Cervantes, or whether one person will take over. His absence could slow the cartel’s rapid expansion and may leave it weaker at first against the Sinaloa cartel in several regions where they or their allies are engaged in conflict.
With inputs from agencies