Mexican army kills leader of Jalisco New Generation Cartel, official says
| Mexico City
The Mexican army killed the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rub茅n Oseguera Cervantes,聽聽鈥� in an operation Sunday, a federal official said.
The official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said it happened during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.
It followed several hours of roadblocks with burning vehicles in Jalisco and other states. Such tactics are commonly used by the cartels to block military operations.
Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing over the city of Puerto Vallarta, a major city in Jalisco, and people sprinting through the airport of the state's capital in panic. On Sunday afternoon, Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to Puerto Vallarta 鈥渄ue to an ongoing security situation鈥� and advised customers not to go to their airport.
The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG, began operating in 2009 and is one of the most powerful and fastest-growing criminal organizations in Mexico.
In February, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.
It has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks on the military and a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines. In 2020, it carried out a spectacular assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then-head of the capital鈥檚 police force and now head of federal security.
The DEA considers this cartel to be as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico's most infamous criminal groups, with a presence in all 50 U.S. states where it distributes tons of drugs. It is one of the main suppliers of cocaine to the U.S. market and, like the Sinaloa cartel, earns billions from the production of fentanyl and methamphetamines.
Since 2017, Oseguera Cervantes has been indicted several times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
The most recent superseding indictment, filed on April 5, 2022, charged Oseguera Cervantes with conspiracy and distribution of controlled substances (methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl) for the purpose of illegal importation into the United States, and use of firearms during and in connection with drug trafficking offenses. Oseguera Cervantes was also charged under the Drug Kingpin Enforcement Act for directing a continuing criminal enterprise.
