Mexican special forces in a special operation liquidation one of the country's most wanted drug lords, Nemeio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, better known as El Mencho. It was he who initiated the Jalisco New Generation gang (CJNG), which in recent years has become the most powerful and aggressive criminal group in the country.
El Mencho is 59 years old. A former police officer has built a criminal empire that challenges the state.
Mexico's most brutal cartel
The “new generation of Jalisco” is known to absolutely everyone in Mexico. This organization became famous not only for its large-scale drug trafficking, but also for its inhumane cruelty. Cartel militants have attacked the army, shot down police helicopters with grenade launchers, used drones to drop explosives and planted mines.
An attempt to capture El Mencho in 2015 ended in failure when cartel members repelled security forces and shot down an army helicopter. In 2020, the gang carried out one of the most daring assassinations in central Mexico City. The gunmen's target was the then head of the Metropolitan Police, who is now Mexico's Minister of Security and Civil Protection. To eliminate it, criminals used automatic weapons and grenades.
According to experts, the new generation Jalisco cartel poses a threat to national security for both Mexico and the United States. This group has huge financial resources, modern weapons and well-organized paramilitary units. In small towns, a few dozen militants can completely paralyze the work of the local police.
King of drug business
According to US authorities, new generation Jalisco operates in all 50 US states. This cartel is one of the largest suppliers of cocaine to the US market. Additionally, the production and trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine has generated billions of dollars in revenue.
The Sinaloa Cartel remained its main rival for many years. However, internal conflicts and the arrest of leaders significantly weakened the group, which allowed El Mencho to strengthen its position.
The story of El Mencho
The future drug lord was born in the state of Michoacan. In the 1990s, he moved to the United States and was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin. He spent nearly three years in an American prison. After his release, he returned to Mexico and resumed his drug business.
In the mid-2000s, after the death of one of the influential drug lords, Oseguera Cervantes, together with his “partners”, founded the Jalisco New Generation cartel. At first, the group cooperated with the Sinaloa cartel, but soon their paths diverged. A long bloody territorial struggle began.
Interestingly, one of the versions of the split sounds humorous: the conflict is said to have broken out after El Mencho spilled tea on his opponents at a meeting in Guadalajara. However, the consequences of an ordinary family quarrel turned out to be tragic – shootings, betrayal and massacres.
Likes to be in the dark
Unlike other drug lords who try their best to stay in the public eye, El Mencho stays away from cameras and journalists. Only a few photos of the drug lord remain. He has never given an interview in his life. He prefers to act from the shadows.
The White House commented on the liquidation of El Mencho
Since 2017, he has been charged multiple times in the United States. Most recently charged in 2022: conspiracy to supply drugs into the United States, use of firearms to commit a crime, and leadership of a major criminal organization. There's a $15 million bounty on his head.
The liquidation of El Mencho is certainly a heavy blow to the cartel. However, as experts emphasize, drug gangs rarely disappear after the death of their leader. The main question now is whether his death will weaken the group or, conversely, trigger a new round of violence.
