The operation was conducted by the Mexican military in Tapalpa, Jalisco. Oseguera was wounded during the raid and died while being airlifted to Mexico City. Authorities reported that several cartel members were killed and that armored vehicles, rocket launchers, and other weapons were seized during the operation.

Axar.az reports that the killing provoked immediate retaliation from CJNG members, triggering violence in multiple states. Vehicles were set ablaze and roads were blocked in several areas, creating widespread unrest.

Before his death, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes had built CJNG into one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent criminal organizations. Born in 1966 in Michoacán, Oseguera became involved in the drug trade at a young age. He later moved to the United States, where he was convicted for heroin trafficking in 1994 and served nearly three years in prison. After returning to Mexico, he eventually co-founded CJNG around 2007, initially allied with the Sinaloa Cartel before breaking away.

Under Oseguera’s leadership, CJNG became notorious for its ruthless tactics, including the use of drones, explosives, and high-powered weapons in attacks on military forces and rival gangs. The cartel also trafficked fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine internationally, primarily to the United States. The U.S. State Department offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture.

“El Mencho was not just another drug lord; he was a strategist and tactician who built an empire that rivaled even the Sinaloa Cartel,” said security expert Edgardo Buscaglia. His ability to evade capture for decades — surviving helicopter attacks, military raids, and U.S. bounty hunts — cemented his reputation as one of the most elusive and feared figures in Mexico’s ongoing drug war.

Oseguera’s death may mark a turning point, but his influence on Mexico’s criminal landscape and the reach of CJNG will continue to be felt.