One of the world's most wanted drug traffickers, Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," was killed in the western state of Jalisco. His death sparked riots and "narco-blockades" in five Mexican states.
One of the world's most wanted drug traffickers – the head of the Mexican cartel known as "El Mencho" – has been killed by his country's security forces, UNN reports with reference to The Guardian.
According to Mexican newspapers, citing government sources, the drug lord, whose real name is Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, was killed on Sunday in the western state of Jalisco.
The 59-year-old gangster led a group that in recent years has become Mexico's most powerful criminal organization: the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Although less known internationally than the Sinaloa Cartel, led by the now-imprisoned Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, the Jalisco group is well-known in Mexico, where it is infamous for its displays of ultra-violence and a large, military-like arsenal.
The US offered a $15 million reward for the capture of the drug lord, who is accused of smuggling huge quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine across the country's southern border.
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The killing of El Mencho, which demonstrates his immense influence in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, sparked an immediate outbreak of unrest in the region he ruled.
Media reported that on Sunday, during lunch, at least five Mexican states: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Michoacán, and Tamaulipas, saw "narco-blockades" made of burning cars, buses, and trucks. Videos show huge clouds of smoke rising into the sky over Puerto Vallarta, a major tourist city on Mexico's west coast, known for its spectacular Pacific Ocean beaches.
In the capital of Jalisco, Guadalajara – one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup – chaos ensued as passengers in panic rushed for cover, apparently fearing retaliatory attacks from El Mencho's militants. Armed men were seen setting cars on fire in the city center.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro urged 8 million citizens to stay home "until the situation is brought under control." Lemus stated that public transport has been suspended and said that locals should not travel on state roads due to "violent events" that have spread to at least five parts of the country.
The US Embassy in Mexico City also issued a security alert, urging US citizens to "shelter in place" in affected regions due to "ongoing security operations and associated road blockages and criminal activity."
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum did not confirm El Mencho's killing, telling reporters that they would soon receive a briefing from her security council.
It is currently unclear where and how the drug lord was killed, but reports suggest he died during an operation in Tapalpa, a town approximately 80 miles southwest of Guadalajara. Videos published in a regional newspaper, El Occidental, showed scenes that were likely heavy fighting.
