MEXICAN ARMY KILLS JALISCO NEW GENERATION CARTEL LEADER EL MENCHO, OFFICIALS SAY. (PHOTO).

Mexican army kills Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader El Mencho, officials say

The Mexican army killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during a military operation Sunday in the western state of Jalisco, a federal official said. The operation came after several hours of roadblocks and burning vehicles across Jalisco and neighboring states, tactics often used by cartels to hinder military movements.

Videos shared on social media showed plumes of smoke over Puerto Vallarta and people running through the airport in the state capital in panic. In response, Air Canada suspended flights to Puerto Vallarta, citing the ongoing security situation and warning travelers to avoid the airport. El Mencho had been the target of a U.S. State Department reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his capture. CJNG, founded in 2009, is one of Mexico’s most powerful and fast-growing criminal organizations. The cartel has carried out aggressive attacks on military personnel, including helicopter assaults, drone-launched explosives, and planted mines, and it attempted a high-profile assassination in 2020 targeting Mexico City’s police chief, now head of federal security.

The DEA considers CJNG as influential as the Sinaloa cartel, with operations in all 50 U.S. states and significant involvement in cocaine distribution and the production of fentanyl and methamphetamines. Since 2017, Oseguera Cervantes had faced multiple indictments in the U.S., including a 2022 superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl for illegal importation into the United States, as well as firearms offenses connected to drug trafficking. He was also charged under the Drug Kingpin Enforcement Act for leading a continuing criminal enterprise.