Leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel downed in joint operation by Mexico and the U.S.

The most wanted drug trafficker in the world, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias El Mencho, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), died this Sunday during an operation by Mexican federal forces with the support of U.S. authorities.

The operation, in which four other cartel members were killed, took place in the municipality of Tapalpa, 130 kilometers south of Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco.

Following the assassination of Mencho, drug-related violence has erupted across several Mexican states, with gas station fires and roadblocks, forcing the suspension of classes and public events.

The U.S. government, which congratulated Mexico on the success of the operation, provided intelligence information as part of the framework of bilateral coordination and cooperation, official sources told Efe.

President Claudia Sheinbaum thanked the Mexican Army, National Guard, Armed Forces, and Security Cabinet for the success of the operation

"The social media accounts of the Security Cabinet provide constant updates. In most of the national territory, activities are proceeding normally. We work every day for the peace, security, justice, and well-being of Mexico," he said on X.

Mexican authorities reported that Oseguera Cervantes died while being transported by helicopter, that two other alleged members of the organization were apprehended, and that three more are seriously injured.

Various weapons and armored vehicles were also secured, including rocket launchers capable of bringing down aircraft.

Three soldiers from the Mexican army were injured in the attack.

El Mencho was the leader of the largest criminal organization in Mexico, a transnational cartel "that revolutionized the business beyond drugs —extortion, theft, human trafficking— with tentacles throughout the country and a significant part of the United States, capable of assassinating judges, politicians, and military personnel, paralyzing entire cities, hiring foreign mercenaries, and shooting down Army helicopters," as detailed this Sunday by El País.