A high-stakes El Mencho raid ended Sunday with the death of Mexico’s most-wanted fentanyl kingpin after authorities tracked his romantic partner to a secluded cabin. Officials said military intelligence followed a trusted associate to the rendezvous site, leading to a deadly confrontation in Tapalpa, Jalisco.
The operation began Feb. 20 targeting Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo detailed how intelligence identified a courier linked to one of Oseguera Cervantes’ romantic partners.
“On February 20, through central military intelligence work, a man of trust of one of El Mencho’s romantic partners was located, who took her to a facility in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco,” Trevilla Trejo said.
After the partner left the property the next day, officials confirmed Oseguera Cervantes remained with a small security detail. Army Special Forces and the National Guard’s Immediate Reaction Force launched the raid after aerial surveillance spotted cartel members carrying illegal high-caliber weapons, including rocket launchers.
Authorities reported that the security detail fired “very violently” at military personnel, triggering a firefight. Eight cartel members were killed in the initial clash, and two soldiers were wounded. Oseguera Cervantes and his close circle fled into nearby woods, where troops later found them “hidden among the brush.”
During a second exchange of gunfire, soldiers wounded Oseguera Cervantes and two escorts. All three died while being evacuated by helicopter.
Mexico deployed 2,500 reinforcements to support 7,000 troops already stationed in the state to deter retaliation. The operation marks one of the most significant blows to cartel leadership in recent years, as President Trump has called for intensified crackdowns on cartel-driven violence.
