Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/23/who-was-el-mencho-drug-cartel-boss-killed-mexico

Drug lord who was killed by Mexican special forces on Sunday led a cartel known for aggression and military-style arsenal

The drug lord “El Mencho”, who was killed on Sunday by Mexican special forces, was the co-founder and leader of a gang that in recent years had become the country’s most powerful criminal organisation: the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

While less internationally famous than the Sinaloa cartel of the now imprisoned Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the CJNG is a household name in Mexico, where it is known for its displays of ultraviolence and its big, military-style arsenal.

The cartel, based in the state of Jalisco, has been one of the most aggressive in its attacks on the military – including on helicopters – and is a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines. An effort to capture El Mencho, real name Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, a 59-year-old former police officer, ended badly in 2015, with cartel gang members shooting down an army helicopter with a rocket launcher.

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