MEXICO CITY — Mexican security forces announced on Sunday the death of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel known as El Mencho, in a federal operation that has sparked widespread violence across several states. The raid in the town of Tapalpa in the western state of Jalisco resulted in the cartel boss being wounded and later dying en route to Mexico City, according to a statement from Mexico's Ministry of Defense posted on X.
The operation unfolded amid intense gunfire, with troops killing four individuals at the scene and wounding three others, including Oseguera Cervantes, who succumbed to his injuries during transport by air. Two suspects were arrested, and authorities seized armored vehicles, rocket launchers, and other weaponry. Three members of the armed forces sustained injuries and are receiving medical treatment, the ministry said. Oseguera Cervantes, 59, had evaded capture for years despite a U.S. reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest.
U.S. officials quickly confirmed the development, highlighting international cooperation in the effort. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau described Oseguera Cervantes as "one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins" in a post on X. "This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys," Landau added.
A U.S. defense official, speaking to CBS News, revealed that the U.S. military contributed through the Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel, which collaborates with Mexican forces via the U.S. Northern Command. The official stressed that "this was a Mexican military operation, so the success is theirs." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed this on social media, noting that the U.S. "provided intelligence" for the operation.
Experts hailed the raid as a major blow to drug trafficking networks. Mike Vigil, former DEA Chief of International Operations, told CBS News that it was "one of the most significant actions undertaken in the history of drug trafficking." He compared Oseguera Cervantes to infamous figures like Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, calling him "one of the biggest drug capos in the history of drug trafficking around the globe."
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, is renowned for its rapid expansion and brutality, trafficking massive quantities of fentanyl and other drugs into the United States. Founded around 2007 by Oseguera Cervantes and Érick Valencia Salazar, alias "El 85," the group has a presence in all 50 U.S. states, rivaling the Sinaloa cartel in power, according to the DEA. Oseguera Cervantes, originally from Aguililla in neighboring Michoacán, had been deeply involved in narcotics since the 1990s. Valencia Salazar was among 29 cartel leaders captured by U.S. authorities last February, per the Justice Department.
The cartel's aggressive tactics include attacks on military helicopters, drone-launched explosives, and land mines. In 2020, CJNG orchestrated a brazen assassination attempt in Mexico City using grenades and high-powered rifles against the then-capital's police chief, now federal security secretary. In February 2025, the Trump administration labeled the group a foreign terrorist organization, citing its role in fentanyl trafficking, extortion, migrant smuggling, oil and mineral theft, and weapons trade.
News of El Mencho's death immediately triggered chaos, with cartel members erecting roadblocks using burning vehicles in Jalisco and spilling into states like Michoacán, Colima, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, and Aguascalientes. Such blockades are a hallmark cartel response to hinder security forces. Videos on social media captured thick smoke over Puerto Vallarta, a key tourist hub in Jalisco, and panicked crowds fleeing Guadalajara's airport, the capital's main gateway.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro declared a "code red" emergency protocol, suspending public transportation statewide and advising residents to stay indoors. "In the vast majority of the national territory, activities are proceeding with complete normality," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo posted on social media, acknowledging the disruptions but downplaying their scope.
In Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city and a host for World Cup matches this summer, burning vehicles clogged major roads. Farther north, in Reynosa, a border city in Tamaulipas adjacent to McAllen, Texas, cartel affiliates blocked access to the airport and key streets leading to international bridges, according to sources on the ground and family members speaking to CBS News correspondent Nidia Cavazos. The bridges themselves remained open, but the closures disrupted cross-border travel typically bustling with Americans.
Vigil explained the cartel's retaliation as a show of strength. "They are burning buses, they're shutting down roads, not only in Jalisco, but Michoacán, Colima, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, and then also Aguascalientes," he said. "And what they're trying to do is show that they are still a force to be reckoned with, that this was not a lethal blow to them."
The violence prompted swift travel advisories and disruptions. The U.S. State Department issued a security alert urging American citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León to shelter in place. Taxi and rideshare services were suspended in Puerto Vallarta, the consular affairs message noted on social media.
Airlines responded rapidly to the unrest. Air Canada halted operations at Puerto Vallarta Airport due to an "ongoing security situation," stating, "We are monitoring the situation and in contact with local authorities who are working to resolve the issue." Southwest and Alaska Airlines canceled flights to and from the airport on Sunday, while Delta Air Lines did the same and offered travel waivers for affected customers in Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. "The safety of our customers and crew always comes first and we are closely monitoring the situation in the region. We have taken steps to adjust our operation accordingly and are working to communicate with our impacted customers," Delta said in a statement.
The operation and its aftermath underscore the persistent challenges in combating Mexico's powerful cartels, which have fueled a deadly drug war claiming hundreds of thousands of lives over the past two decades. Oseguera Cervantes faced multiple U.S. indictments since 2017 in the District of Columbia for his role in the fentanyl crisis ravaging American communities. While his death represents a victory for law enforcement, experts caution that successors within CJNG could escalate violence to assert control.
As Mexican authorities work to restore order, the international community watches closely. The U.S.-Mexico partnership, strained at times by migration and trade issues, has intensified against shared threats like fentanyl. With the World Cup approaching and tourism vital to Jalisco's economy, the coming days will test the government's ability to contain the fallout from this high-stakes takedown.