Mexico in Turmoil: Information from the United States Assisted the Operation against El Mencho
The Mexican military operation that culminated in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias ‘El Mencho’, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was the result of a “very complicated” intelligence process in which, according to the Mexican government, information provided by the United States allowed them to locate the drug kingpin and arrest him after an armed confrontation.
The Secretary of National Defense, Ricardo Trevilla, speaks at a press conference this Monday at the National Palace in Mexico City (Mexico).
According to details provided this Monday by Mexico’s Secretary of Defense, General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, at the presidential press conference, the operation against El Mencho came after joint intelligence work between Mexican and American agencies, which allowed them to monitor the network of contacts of the CJNG leader.
Members of the National Guard guard the area where the body of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, alias ‘El Mencho’, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was taken. He was killed this Sunday in Mexico City.
Key Aspects of the Operation
After months of surveillance, the fugitive — for whom the United States offered a $15 million reward — was located last Friday on a property in the town of Tapalpa, in the western state of Jalisco, a region considered a historical stronghold of the CJNG. Military intelligence also identified one of his romantic partners at the location, who left the compound the day before the operation, while El Mencho remained with his security team. At that point, the decision was made to carry out the military operation to capture him.
Military Deployment with Air Support
The operation, led by the Mexican Army, with the participation of the National Guard and special forces, had air support from six helicopters and several airplanes. The entire deployment was aimed at “achieving surprise and seizing the initiative,” the Secretary of Defense stated, without providing details of the exact number of military personnel involved in the operation. The Air Force confirms the presence of El Mencho at the location, against whom there were two arrest warrants for organized crime.
Very Violent Attack
The operation, led by the Mexican Army, with the participation of the National Guard and special forces, had air support from six helicopters and several airplanes. Upon detecting the military presence, the armed group accompanying the CJNG leader opened fire in an attack described as “very violent,” which was repelled by Mexican forces. Eight alleged members of the criminal group were killed and three soldiers were wounded.
Police officers from Morelia and members of the army are working at the scene where a vehicle was set on fire by suspected members of organized crime on Sunday, following the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in Morelia, Mexico.
Escape to the Forest and Shots Fired at a Helicopter
After the initial exchange of gunfire, the drug lord and his security detail fled to a wooded area, where they hid in the undergrowth. Military personnel located them and established a perimeter to prevent their escape. When they found themselves cornered, they opened fire again on the National Guard and Armed Forces personnel, in an attack that affected an Army helicopter, which suffered a shot that forced it to make an emergency landing at a nearby military facility. Finally, after a fierce exchange of gunfire, the military repelled this second armed attack, wounding El Mencho and two of his bodyguards.
El Mencho Dies in the Military Plane before Arriving at the Hospital
In the operation, security forces seized numerous weapons, including Russian-designed RPG rocket launchers, the same model used in 2015 in the downing of a helicopter that caused the death of seven Mexican soldiers. After arresting the CJNG leader, he was taken to a medical center in Morelia (Michoacán), but “unfortunately” he died before arriving due to the severity of his injuries, explained General Trevilla. The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) confirmed on Monday the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, 59, one of the most wanted criminals in Mexico and the United States, after conducting a forensic analysis of the body and officially verifying his identity.
