Reports Say El Mencho Was Killed After Military Deployment in Mexico
Posted on 02/23/26 at 11:02
- El Mencho Killed
- Federal Operation in Jalisco
- Roadblocks in Six States
According to Milenio, federal forces killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, founder and top leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), on Sunday, February 22.
High-level officials confirmed to Milenio that the operation was led by the Ejército Mexicano in the state of Jalisco.
The government had identified him as the absolute leader of the CJNG.
During the morning, security operations were reported in the municipality of Talpa de Allende.
The area was considered territory dominated by Oseguera Cervantes.
Following the reported death, roadblocks were recorded in at least six states.
Disruptions were reported in Jalisco, Michoacán, Colima, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, and Aguascalientes.
Operation in Jalisco and Roadblocks
The deployment of federal forces took place in Jalisco.
After confirmation that El Mencho had been killed, roadblocks began appearing on several highways.
The actions spread to six states.
Authorities did not detail the scale of the clashes in the initial report.
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Talpa de Allende was identified as the central point of the operation.
It is an area long considered within the CJNG leader’s sphere of influence.
The roadblocks were reported hours after the security operations began, intensifying attention on the operation.
Background and Trajectory of El Mencho
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes was born on July 17, 1966, in Naranjo de Chila, in the municipality of Aguililla, Michoacán.
As a young man, he migrated to the United States.
Upon returning to Mexico, he became close to Ignacio Coronel Villarreal, known as Nacho Coronel.
He left school after sixth grade to help his family harvest avocados.
During his adolescence, he entered the United States and attempted to build a client network as a drug dealer.
He was arrested there.
In 1992, he and his brother Abraham Oseguera sold heroin to two undercover police officers.
Both were sent to federal prison and later deported.
In 1997, he traveled to Tijuana.
There, he built a drug trafficking operation.
He later worked as a police officer in Tomatlán, Jalisco.
Foundation and Expansion of the CJNG
El Mencho was part of a network of hitmen who protected Armando Valencia Cornelio, known as El Maradona.
Through that connection, he became linked to the Milenio Cartel.
That organization was allied with Ignacio Coronel Villarreal, a member of the Sinaloa Cartel and considered the right-hand man of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
The group trafficked drugs, managed finances, and operated as an armed wing in Jalisco and Colima.
After the death of Nacho Coronel and the capture of Óscar Orlando Nava Valencia, known as El Lobo, the Milenio Cartel split.
Two factions emerged: Los Torcidos and La Resistencia.
Both groups fought for control of drug trafficking in Jalisco.
The Los Torcidos faction eventually evolved into the CJNG.
After Nacho Coronel’s death, El Mencho and Erik Valencia Salazar, known as El 85, founded the CJNG.
With Oseguera Cervantes at the helm, alongside his right-hand group known as Los Cuinis — led by the González Valencia brothers — the organization began expanding.
The group extended its presence into Mexico City, Colima, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Guerrero, Morelos, Veracruz, and Baja California.
El Mencho married one of the Valencia sisters to strengthen ties with Los Cuinis.
After the capture of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, Oseguera Cervantes was identified as the most powerful drug lord in the country.
His reported death marks a pivotal moment in the recent history of the CJNG.
