Why El Mencho was one of the most feared drug lords of Mexico

How El Mencho rose to power and became one of the world’s most feared drug lords after El Chapo’s arrest

Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed Sunday in a military operation in western Mexico, ending the reign of one of the country’s most notorious and violent cartel figures.

Following his death, violence erupted across several regions in Mexico, with CJNG members reportedly seeking revenge, according to sources cited by Reuters. El Mencho was critically injured during the raid and later died in custody. His body was transported to Mexico City under tight security.

El Mencho’s rise to power after El Chapo’s arrest

The arrest of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán created a power vacuum in Mexico’s drug trade, weakening the Sinaloa Cartel and allowing rival groups to expand. El Mencho capitalized on this opportunity, consolidating his control over key trafficking routes across Mexico.

Through extreme violence and intimidation, El Mencho eliminated rivals and expanded CJNG’s territory rapidly. He also developed extensive international networks to smuggle fentanyl and other drugs into the United States, boosting his influence.

By exploiting gaps left by law enforcement and rival weakness, El Mencho rose to become one of Mexico’s most powerful and feared cartel leaders, building a reputation for brutality that rivaled even El Chapo’s global notoriety.

How Mencho became the most feared drug trafficker 

CJNG gained notoriety for its bold, militarized tactics. In 2015, cartel gunmen shot down a Mexican military helicopter in Jalisco, killing several soldiers. The group also attempted a high-profile assassination of Mexico City’s police chief, Omar García Harfuch, in 2020.

After breaking away from the Milenio Cartel around 2011, Oseguera Cervantes and his associates established CJNG, which the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) described as heavily involved in the manufacturing, trafficking, and distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, along with extensive money laundering operations. By 2019, the DEA estimated CJNG was responsible for at least one-third of all drugs entering the United States by air and sea.

Former DEA agent Matthew Donahue told CBS News that Oseguera Cervantes was “the number one priority for DEA and frankly for federal law enforcement in the United States.” The cartel was also known for using drones rigged with explosives, improvised explosive devices, and posting recruitment and propaganda videos online, showcasing heavily armed fighters.