A CJNG tag on a house wall in the town of El Limoncito: The Jalisco cartel controls the drug trade, especially in smaller and medium-sized cities. Image: keystone
The Mexican drug lord “El Mencho” is dead. He was the leader of what has become the most powerful criminal organization in the country, the Jalisco Cartel. His followers are now using the gang’s large arsenal of weapons and causing unrest across the country.
02/23/2026, 08:1102/23/2026, 08:17
That’s what it’s about
Cars, banks, gas stations and shops on fire, streets blocked by heavily armed cartel members: there is major unrest in parts of Mexico after the death of drug lord “El Mencho”, real name Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes. According to the authorities, 26 people were killed, including various police officers.
A soldier and a police officer stand next to a burned-out vehicle in Cointzio, Michoacan state.Image: keystone
The drug lord was killed by Mexican special forces on Sunday. He was co-founder and leader of the Jalisco cartel Nueva Generación (CJNG). Although it is less known internationally than the equally notorious Sinaloa Cartel and its boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who is now in US custody, CJNG is now considered the most powerful cartel in Mexico.
What is known about CJNG?
CJNG was created around 2008 when a group led by Nemesio Oseguera split off from the Sinaloa Cartel. The Jalisco cartel relied on alliances with small, local gangs and developed over the years into the main competitor of the Sinaloa cartel. In addition to cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking, the “fields of activity” also included extortion, theft and sale of fuel, kidnapping, illegal logging and mining, and human trafficking, such as New York Times writes.
In addition to the Jalisco members’ high level of violence, the cartel is particularly feared for its gigantic arsenal of weapons. Mexican security expert Eduardo Guerrero told the Guardian:
“They have enormous resources, state-of-the-art weapons, paramilitary groups and military-grade vehicles… and pose a very serious challenge to the Mexican government – especially in small and medium-sized cities, where a 50-man cartel squad can easily defeat any local police force.”
The Jalisco Cartel is active in all 50 US states and was classified as a terrorist group by the US government last year. According to estimates by the US anti-drug agency DEA, the gang has between 15,000 and 20,000 members. This caused fear and terror among the population with, among other things, public executions and the exhibition of corpses, with the acts of violence often being documented via social media.
Who was “El Mencho”?
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes was born in 1966 in Aguililla in the Mexican state of Michoacán to poor avocado farmers. While still a teenager, he moved to California in the USA, where he was later charged twice with drug trafficking. In 1994, “El Mencho”, whose nickname is derived from his first name Nemesio, was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison.
There are only a few photos of “El Mencho”. Among other things, the US was looking for him with this one.Image: x
He then returned to Mexico and, according to media reports, briefly worked as a police officer. But he quickly found himself on the other side of the law. By marrying the niece of a gang leader from a regional criminal organization, he found a connection to Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s Sinaloa cartel.
After the secession, the new Jalisco cartel quickly gained influence; in particular, brazen and brutal attacks on state employees such as police officers, politicians or judges became the hallmark of Oseguera’s organization.
The Jalisco cartel is now considered the most powerful criminal organization, also because the Mexican government took stronger action against its Sinaloa rival and was able to achieve success. After the imprisonment of “El Chapo” and the second strongman Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, CJNG was able to further expand its own influence.
Compared to other drug lords, Oseguera lived a less than dazzling life. He was very concerned about anonymity, which is why only a few photos of him exist. Most recently, the USA placed $15 million on Oseguera. On Sunday, the 59-year-old was so seriously injured by Mexican special forces that he died on the way to the hospital.
What’s next in Mexico?
The death of “El Mencho” is a great success for the Mexican government led by President Claudia Sheinbaum. Since Sheinbaum took office, the Mexican government has launched the largest campaign against organized violence in the country in more than ten years – also under pressure from the USA.
Claudia Sheinbaum takes aggressive action against the cartels.Image: keystone
After the death of the drug lord, there was unrest, especially in and around the city of Guadalajara, a venue for the World Cup next summer, but also throughout the country. Armed Jalisco members blocked streets and attacked supermarkets and banks. Dozens of vehicles were set on fire.
A car wreck near a supermarket in Guadalajara that was attacked.Image: keystone
However, it is questionable whether Oseguera’s killing will result in a lasting weakening of organized crime. When previous Mexican governments celebrated successes in the fight against the cartels, it usually didn’t take long for new groups to take their place – just as the Jalisco cartel benefited from the weakening of Sinaloa.
According to experts, there could also be bloody power struggles within CJNG if Oseguera does not arrange his successor – a delicate situation for the country just months before the World Cup.