The road that made El Mencho the most powerful drug lord in Mexico

On February 22, the Mexican army announced that Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, 59 years old, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was injured in a clash with soldiers in the town of Tapalpa, western state of Jalisco. The drug lord later died while being transported to Mexico City by air.

American media describe Nemesio Oseguera, nicknamed El Mencho, as the most powerful drug lord in Mexico. Meanwhile, CJNG, El Mencho’s gang, is one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations in this American country.

Oseguera was born in July 1966 in Aguililla city, Michoacan state, “the avocado capital of Mexico”. Oseguera took the name Nemesio, said to commemorate his godfather, later shortened to El Mencho.

Oseguera dropped out of school in 6th grade to pick avocados, then joined drug smuggling activities and moved to Tijuana, Baja California. Here, he began smuggling drugs to San Diego city, California, USA.

During the 1980s, Oseguera used a fake name to illegally immigrate to the United States several times. He was arrested in California for drug-related crimes and weapons possession. In 1992, Oseguera faced federal drug trafficking charges and was sentenced to three years in prison. The drug lord was later deported.

Upon returning to Mexico, Oseguera joined the police force of Tomatlan, a small city in Jalisco. Finally, Oseguera returned to Michoacan and joined Milenio, a criminal organization operating since the early 1990s. Boss Milenio then assigned Oseguera to command a branch of the gang in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco.

Oseguera rose through the ranks of Milenio and expected to be given the top position. But when gang leaders were arrested or killed in 2008-2009, he was not promoted. Milenio split into two factions fighting each other. In 2011, the Oseguera faction won and changed the gang’s name to CJNG.

CJNG dominates much of Guadalajara, defeating its opponents and controlling large areas of Jalisco and other states such as Colima and Michoacan. The gang controls many important drug routes and transit centers. Below Oseguera are the “capos”, or regional bosses.

Oseguera posed pisothe “tax” that business owners and independent drug dealers must pay to the capo in order to operate. Oseguera also manipulated networks of corrupt police and politicians.

“El Mencho’s CJNG is one of the largest forces that bribes politicians and finances elections, thereby building very broad social relations,” Edgardo Buscaglia, an organized crime expert at Columbia University, told Reuters.

According to US government estimates, CJNG has about 15,000-20,000 members, earning billions of dollars each year. The group’s criminal activities include drug trafficking, extortion, fuel theft, kidnapping, illegal logging and mineral exploitation, and smuggling of migrants.

“CJNG is also believed to have recently participated in plots to assassinate Mexican officials,” the US State Department said in December 2024.

Washington has listed CJNG as a terrorist organization for allegedly transporting drugs into US territory. The US State Department is offering a $15 million reward for information leading to Oseguera’s arrest and/or conviction.

Mexico has launched many campaigns to search for Oseguera since 2011 but was unsuccessful. Drug lords rarely show themselves, hide in remote buildings that make it difficult for security forces to access, and do not use drugs or alcohol to avoid negligence.

US anti-drug agents and Mexican officials coordinated to search for Oseguera’s hideout at least three times.

During the raid in Guadalajara in August 2012, CJNG members set up barricades with burned vehicles to prevent police from approaching, according to InSight Crime. In 2015, the Mexican military deployed two helicopters to Oseguera’s hideout, but one was shot down by the CJNG, killing three soldiers.

About five years ago, security forces identified a location where they believed they could arrest Oseguera. However, when they arrived, the gang boss was not present. Officials suspect information about the campaign was leaked.

Oseguera was killed while the US pressured Mexico to block the flow of drugs, especially fentanyl, into the country. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs on goods imported from Mexico, saying that his counterpart Claudia Sheinbaum has not done enough to fight drug trafficking.

Ms. Sheinbaum congratulated the Mexican security forces and called on Mexicans to “keep fully informed and calm.” US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau welcomed the operation, describing Oseguera as “one of the most bloodthirsty, ruthless drug lords”.

“This is a big step forward for Mexico, the United States, Latin America and the whole world,” he said.

However, a US federal law enforcement official noted that CJNG will not disband just because Oseguera is destroyed, because this organization’s strict hierarchical structure is enough to help it continue to operate.

“There will definitely be an immediate impact, because he is a very influential person in the international drug trafficking network,” the official said. “CJNG’s operations may decline significantly in the short term, but no one is sure how long that situation will last.”