Cjng co-founder 'El Mencho' killed after Mexican army operation in Jalisco
Mexican authorities say Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, 59, the co-founder of the CJNG cartel, was wounded, captured and died en route to Mexico City during an army operation that Mexican officials say had U. S. intelligence support on Feb. 23, 2026; the move follows years of his protected movement across Jalisco and carries the highest rewards once offered by both countries.
Operation located him in Tapalpa, a mountain town about 130 kilometers south of Guadalajara
The Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (Sedena) said a Special Forces command led the operation that located Oseguera Cervantes in the municipality of Tapalpa, a serrano area roughly 130 kilometers south of Guadalajara. Sedena said the unit acted with support from Air Force aircraft and the Guardia Nacional Fuerza Especial de Reacción Inmediata.
Firefight involved armored vehicles and rocket launchers
Sedena said members of the criminal group used armored vehicles and heavy weaponry, including rocket launchers capable of downing aircraft, and that military personnel were attacked. Sedena said troops repelled the aggression, and the clash produced multiple casualties among cartel fighters and wounded military personnel.
Casualties, arrests and medical evacuations
Sedena gave specific counts: four members of the CJNG died at the scene, and three who were seriously wounded lost their lives while being flown to Mexico City. Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes was among the wounded who were captured; he died during transfer to the capital. Two other CJNG members were detained, and the Army had three personnel seriously wounded who were taken to hospitals in Mexico City.
Cjng ties, bounties and a prior U. S. designation
Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho, " was the 59-year-old co-founder of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación, a group that expanded across Mexico in the last decade and became one of the country's most violent organizations, on par with the Cartel de Sinaloa. The U. S. government had offered US$15 million for his capture, while Mexico had offered US$1, 75 million—the highest reward in its program. The Trump administration designated the CJNG as a terrorist organization, calling it a "ruthless and violent cartel" responsible for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and other illicit drugs to the United States.
U. S. role, White House comment and alerts for Americans
Sedena said the operation counted on "complementary information" from the U. S. government within the framework of bilateral coordination and cooperation. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt wrote on X that the U. S. provided intelligence support to help with an operation in which Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes was eliminated, and she praised and thanked Mexican military forces for their cooperation and the successful execution of the operation. The U. S. State Department also issued security alerts for Americans in Mexico.
A new Spanish-language podcast about a love that triumphed was noted in coverage of the operation; other ancillary web pages showed automated access checks for some readers, unclear in the provided context.
It is unclear in the provided context what the next operational steps or scheduled milestones will be; Mexican officials have said the operation included complementary U. S. intelligence within bilateral coordination, and U. S. authorities publicly praised the action on Feb. 23, 2026.
