GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Mexico’s most powerful drug kingpin, the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was killed by the Mexican military on Sunday, Mexican defense officials said.
The killing of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” represents a major show of force by the country’s security forces as President Donald Trump continues to pressure the United States’ southern neighbor to do more to fight its drug trafficking organizations.
Oseguera, one of the most wanted fugitives in Mexico, was a founder of the New Generation cartel, which has grown to become one of the most powerful and violent organizations in Mexico, trafficking large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine into the U.S.
His killing immediately set off a wave of violence in areas controlled by the cartel, with reports of burning cars blocking roads. In Guadalajara, the capital city of the western Mexico state of Jalisco and one of the host cities of the upcoming World Cup, businesses were shut down, sirens and helicopters could be heard in the city center, and residents were warned to stay inside.
Jalisco governor Pablo Lemus Navarro, in a statement on X, said federal forces had carried out an operation in Tapalpa, southwest of Guadalajara, and urged residents not to travel on roads because of clashes in the area.
Videos circulating on social media showed people running through the Guadalajara airport and hiding behind ticket counters.
Mexican security officials planned the operation to detain the cartel leader, and members of the military came under attack as they carried out the operation, according to a statement from the Defense Ministry.
Security forces returned fire, killing four members of the cartel and seriously wounding three others who later died. One of them was Oseguera. Two other members of the cartel were detained, and weapons and armored vehicles were seized, including rocket launchers with the capacity to attack aircraft and destroy armored vehicles.
The United States helped provide information to support the operation, according to the statement.
The Trump administration has designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel a terrorist organization, and the United States has offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Oseguera’s capture.
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