Who was El Mencho, Mexico's most wanted man?

The BBC's Will Grant examines the power wielded by the Jalisco drug cartel chief, who died after a clash with security forces assisted by US intelligence.

According to prosecutors, El Mencho told people that he killed Gutierrez-Ochoa for lying, but Gutierrez-Ochoa actually faked his death and fled from Mexico to Riverside, California. Oseguera Cervantes' wife was eventually released from prison in February 2025.

The Mexican army has killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as 'El Mencho,' the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in an operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco. His death is considered a significant blow to the CJNG, one of Mexico's most powerful and dangerous cartels.

Authorities have confirmed the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as 'El Mencho,' the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in a military operation in Mexico. His death is seen as a significant blow to the CJNG, one of Mexico's most powerful and dangerous cartels.

El 22 de febrero de 2026, el Gobierno de México confirmó la muerte de Rubén Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias 'El Mencho', durante un operativo de seguridad en la sierra del estado de Jalisco. Líder del Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), El Mencho era considerado el narcotraficante más buscado y peligroso del mundo, y uno de los principales objetivos de seguridad tanto para México como para Estados Unidos, que ofrecía 15 millones de dólares por su captura.