Liputan6.com, Jakarta - El Mencho, whose real name is Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes and the leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), has been confirmed dead.
His death happened during an intense military operation on Sunday, February 22, 2026, in the Mexican state of Jalisco.
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The operation to capture El Mencho took place in Tapalpa, a city located approximately 80 miles southwest of Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco.
El Mencho was seriously injured in a fierce gunfight and later died while en route to Mexico City for medical treatment.
This incident not only ended El Mencho's long escape but also triggered a violent response from the cartel network he led, causing chaos across Mexico.
The Military Operation That Killed El Mencho
The operation to capture Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as "El Mencho," was a collaborative effort between Mexican security forces, including the army and the National Guard, with intelligence support from the United States.
Tapalpa was chosen as the location for the operation due to accurate intelligence.
The resulting firefight killed at least six suspected cartel members.
Four cartel members were found dead at the scene, while three others, including El Mencho himself, died while being airlifted for medical treatment.
The operation also resulted in security casualties, with three Mexican soldiers injured and a National Guard member killed in Tapalpa.
The wave of violence also spread to Zapopan, where six other National Guard members were killed in separate incidents related to the operation.
Authorities seized a large amount of evidence from suspected cartel members, including armored vehicles, rocket launchers, and various firearms.
Two suspected cartel members were also captured alive.
The Impact of El Mencho's Death
El Mencho's death sparked a widespread and unprecedented wave of violence across Mexico.
Immediately after news of his death spread, cars were burned and highways blocked in more than half a dozen states.
Affected states included Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, and Colima.
Major cities like Guadalajara turned into ghost towns, with terrified civilians sheltering indoors.
As a precaution, school closures in several states were forced to close, and several airlines suspended flights to Puerto Vallarta, disrupting tourism.
El Mencho's death is considered the biggest blow to Mexican cartels in more than a decade, marks the most significant arrest or neutralization since the capture of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
A Brief Profile of El Mencho
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as 'El Mencho,' was born on July 17, 1966, in Aguililla, Michoacán, Mexico.
He was the founder and leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a criminal organization that has gripped Mexico with violence.
At the time of his death, El Mencho was the most wanted man in Mexico and one of the top fugitives in the United States.
The US government had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his capture or prosecution, while the Mexican government offered 300 million Mexican pesos. El Mencho's history shows his journey from a former police officer to a drug kingpin.
In the 1980s, he briefly immigrated illegally to the US, where he was arrested on drug charges and deported.
He was arrested again in 1992 on drug charges, served three years in prison, and was deported a second time.
After returning to Mexico, El Mencho began to build his power within the Millenio Cartel.
Around 2007–2011, after several of his bosses were arrested or killed, he founded the CJNG, which later grew into one of the most powerful and violent criminal organizations in Mexico.