El Mencho Tracked Through Romantic Partner and Killed in Mexico Operation

Published: 24 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Mexican authorities have killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as El Mencho, the elusive leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the country’s most powerful criminal organisations, after tracking him through a romantic partner and carrying out a high‑stakes military operation in Jalisco state.

Defense officials revealed that intelligence units, with support from U.S. intelligence agencies, focused on an associate linked to one of El Mencho’s romantic partners. By monitoring the movements of this associate, security forces were able to pinpoint a secluded hideout near Tapalpa, a mountainous region in western Mexico where the cartel boss was believed to be hiding. Mexican Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo detailed that after the partner visited El Mencho at the location, she left and authorities confirmed he remained with his security detail. A coordinated raid involving the Mexican army and the National Guard ensued, resulting in a deadly confrontation.

During the operation, cartel gunmen opened fire on approaching troops, leading to a firefight in and around the compound. El Mencho and two of his bodyguards were wounded and transported by helicopter for medical care but died en route to Mexico City, officials said. Over 70 people were killed in the operation and subsequent violence, including security personnel, suspected cartel members and other individuals caught up in the clashes.

The fallout was immediate and violent: cartel factions launched widespread reprisals following the news of El Mencho’s death. Roadblocks, arson attacks, and clashes erupted across several Mexican states, prompting security lockdowns, disruptions to air travel and closures of schools and businesses in affected areas. Mexican authorities worked to restore order as concerns continued about potential leadership battles within the CJNG.

El Mencho, 59, had been one of the most wanted criminals in Mexico and the United States, where a $15 million reward was offered for information leading to his arrest. Under his leadership, the CJNG grew into a transnational trafficking empire involved in drugs, extortion, kidnapping and other organised crime, with significant influence in fentanyl distribution to the U.S. market.

President Claudia Sheinbaum described the operation as a major achievement for Mexican security forces, though analysts warn that eliminating a cartel boss can trigger internal power struggles and further instability as remaining factions jockey for control.

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