Mexican authorities have confirmed that the long-elusive leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Nemesio Oseguera, also known as El Mencho, was eliminated because of surveillance of his girlfriend.
According to Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, the romantic partner allowed special forces to pinpoint El Mencho’s exact location in the mountains of Jalisco.
Trejo explained that the breakthrough came when military investigators began following a “trusted associate” linked to one of Oseguera’s girlfriends.
This individual was observed transporting the woman to a secluded rural compound in the picturesque town of Tapalpa on February 20, 2026.
By monitoring the movements of the girlfriend, security agencies eliminated El Mencho after the National Guard and Army were able to verify that she met with the drug lord before departing the following day. This surveillance of a romantic partner gave officials the “green light” they needed to launch a massive land and air operation, supported by critical intelligence from the U.S. military’s Northern Command.
Once they confirmed the presence of Oseguera, who was wanted for organised crime and weapons possession, they decided to raid the ranch.
“Honestly, it was a pretty violent attack,” Trevilla said, specifying that Oseguera was apprehended in possession of an arsenal that included assault weapons and two rocket launchers.
The kingpin’s security escorts, who have made a name for defying state forces, had used these types of bazookas before.
In 2015, they shot down a military helicopter, helping the drug trafficker evade capture.
“El Mencho” didn’t have the same luck on Sunday. As they fled, he and his close circle of guards took cover in a forested area surrounding a complex of cabins.
He was surrounded by the soldiers again, who found him hiding in the undergrowth, the head of the military explained.
His gunmen managed to hit a military helicopter, which had to make an emergency landing in a nearby base.
All three were airlifted to a hospital in Guadalajara but perished en route, Trevilla said.
The bodies were then transported by airplane to Mexico City and handed over to the General Prosecutor’s Office.
Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said that Osegeura’s remains would be handed over to his family.
It is not yet known where he will be buried.
Authorities also announced the death of his right-hand man. Hugo H., known as “El Tuli,” was found in El Grullo, another town in Jalisco, from where he directed road blockades, the burning of vehicles, and retaliatory attacks against military institutions after his boss’s death.
“He was offering 20,000 pesos ($1,150) for every soldier who was killed,” Trevilla said.
Like Oseguera, “El Tuli” died Sunday as he tried to flee. He was carrying an assault weapon, a pistol, and the equivalent of nearly $1.4 million on him when he died, Trevilla added.
The death of Oseguera unleashed a wave of violence across 20 out of Mexico’s 32 states, marked by hundreds of roadblocks and torchings of vehicles.
