On February 22, 2026, Mexican security forces carried out an operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, during which they said Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, was wounded and later died while being airlifted to Mexico City. The man widely identified as the founder and long-time leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, CJNG, had been one of the world’s most wanted fugitives, with U.S. authorities offering up to $15 million for information leading to his capture.
The operation and the immediate aftermath
Officials said the raid was intended to capture El Mencho, but troops came under heavy fire at the site, and security forces returned fire. Authorities reported several cartel members killed at the scene and two detained with an arsenal that included armored vehicles and rocket launchers. The security ministry described the operation as successful, and Mexican and U.S. officials acknowledged intelligence cooperation in the lead up to the raid.
The killing set off widespread reprisals, with cartel gunmen blocking highways and torching vehicles in multiple states to impede security operations and sow fear. Local and national authorities reported dozens of road blockades, temporary closures of airports and bus terminals in affected regions, and a string of violent incidents that left both security personnel and civilians dead and wounded. Counts of casualties varied across reports, with officials and local media offering different tallies as events unfolded.
The scene that followed was one of sudden chaos, with cities and coastal resorts gripped by fear as residents sheltered in place and authorities scrambled to secure key transit routes.
Who was El Mencho, and how CJNG rose
El Mencho, born in July 1966, first came to public attention decades ago, and over time he helped build CJNG from a regional force into an international criminal enterprise. Under his leadership the cartel expanded from its base in western Mexico into a presence across much of the country and into markets overseas. The organization grew notorious for extreme violence, military-style arsenals, and a willingness to confront security forces.
Key elements of the CJNG under El Mencho included:
- Recruitment of large armed contingents and the use of local cells to control territory
- Diversified revenue streams, including fentanyl and other narcotics production and trafficking, fuel theft, extortion, and money laundering
- Tactical use of drones and heavy weaponry, including anti-aircraft capable munitions in some reported seizures
Legal status, rewards, and designations
U.S. law enforcement and Treasury agencies had targeted El Mencho and CJNG for years. The United States raised its reward for El Mencho to $15 million, and the cartel and some leaders faced designations under sanctions programs citing narcotics trafficking and links to transnational criminal activity. Mexican authorities also pursued cases and operations aimed at CJNG networks.
For reference, alleged federal violations listed by U.S. authorities included statutory provisions for narcotics distribution and related offenses. A technical listing of common statutes in such cases appears below:
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21 U.S.C. 846 - Conspiracy to commit drug trafficking offenses
21 U.S.C. 963 - Exportation of controlled substances
21 U.S.C. 959 - Manufacture and distribution of controlled substances intended for export
21 U.S.C. 841 - Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
21 U.S.C. 924 - Possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking
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The broader significance: strategy, cooperation, and risks
Officials in Mexico hailed the operation as a major success, and U.S. officials framed the result as evidence that bilateral intelligence cooperation can produce high-value outcomes without deploying foreign troops. But analysts cautioned against assuming that removing a single leader would end the cartel’s operations.
Multiple expert perspectives emerged rapidly:
- Some security analysts argued the operation could disrupt CJNG supply chains and leadership for months, potentially reducing immediate flows of fentanyl and other drugs.
- Other experts warned the killing could trigger a violent scramble for control inside the cartel, fragmentation into rival cells, and short-term spikes in violence as factions and competing groups fight to seize territory and revenue sources.
- Community leaders and civil society groups focused on the immediate humanitarian costs, urging protection for civilians, independent investigations into excesses by all armed actors, and long-term strategies to reduce violence.
What the CJNG looks like without El Mencho
CJNG had evolved a quasi-franchise model in which regional commanders exercise autonomy while paying tribute to central leadership. That structure, analysts say, can allow operational continuity even after a decapitation of top leadership, but it can also accelerate internal rivalry.
Table: Quick comparison, El Mencho and CJNG at a glance
Item | Detail |
|---|---|
Age at time of operation | 59 |
U.S. reward | $15,000,000 |
Cartel founded | ~2009 |
Core markets | Fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin |
Noted tactics | Armed convoys, drone use, armored vehicles, public intimidation |
Structure | Central leadership with regional franchises |
Multiple viewpoints, and why results are uncertain
Law enforcement and government spokespeople portrayed the operation as a decisive strike against a violent kingpin. Many residents and business owners in affected regions welcomed any move that promises long-term reductions in extortion and open criminality. Yet some scholars and policy experts stressed that without bolstered prosecutions, anti-corruption measures, and programs to interrupt the flow of precursor chemicals and money, the underlying markets that fund cartels will persist.
Civilian groups pointed to the immediate human cost of the reprisals and demanded stronger protections for populations caught between security operations and cartel retaliation. International observers noted that cooperation between Mexico and the United States has intensified in recent months, but they also warned that public communications and transparency will be crucial to maintaining trust.
What to watch next
- Security indicators: whether the pattern of blockades and arson subsides, and how quickly authorities clear and secure affected transport corridors
- Arrests and prosecutions: whether detained CJNG operatives lead to actionable prosecutions and financial disruption of the cartel’s networks
- Organizational shifts: signs of internal CJNG fragmentation, claims to leadership, or mergers with other groups
- Market impacts: changes in drug seizures at the border, and trends in fentanyl availability and precursor chemical flows
The human toll and the limits of a single operation
History suggests that targeting a single leader, even a figure as central as El Mencho, rarely ends a cartel’s activities on its own. Long-term effects depend on sustained judicial processes, financial tracking and sanctions, community protections, and international cooperation to choke supply chains. For families in Jalisco and elsewhere, the immediate concern is safety and recovery, as residents live through the violent ripple effects of the operation.
By the numbers, the raid marks a watershed moment in Mexico’s long battle with organized crime, but it does not resolve the deeper political, economic, and cross-border dynamics that have allowed groups like CJNG to grow. The coming weeks and months will determine whether the operation leads to meaningful disruption, or whether violence and fragmentation simply reshuffle criminal networks.
By David Anderson, veteran journalist with 25 years covering security and organized crime issues. If you are in affected areas, follow local authorities’ guidance and shelter-in-place advisories until officials say it is safe.