The curtain falls for ‘El Mencho’ after a decade on the run
The Mexican Army, with key support from US intelligence, carried out on Sunday the coup that many considered impossible. In the mountains of Tapalpa, Jalisco, the criminal career of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, ‘El Mencho’, met its violent end.
It wasn’t a catch. It was an elimination.
During the operation, military personnel were attacked. The response was lethal. Four members of the CJNG died at the scene. Three more, including ‘El Mencho’ himself, were seriously injured and died during their air transfer to Mexico City.
“Among the latter is Rubén ‘N’, alias ‘El Mencho’; however, the corresponding authorities will be in charge of the expert activities for his identification,” emphasized the National Defense.
The White House was quick to react. His spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, praised Mexican cooperation and described ‘El Mencho’ as “one of the main traffickers of fentanyl” to the United States. This wasn’t just any goal; It was the objective.
The immediate aftermath: code red and retaliation
The news lit the fuse in Jalisco. Code red was activated. Armed groups responded by burning vehicles to block roads and inhibit the movement of authorities.
The attacks extended to National Guard bases. In San Juan de los Lagos, an assault left multiple fatalities. One officer miraculously survived with a warhead embedded in his body.
Meanwhile, in Tapalpa, the special forces secured an arsenal: heavy weapons, armored vehicles and even rocket launchers capable of shooting down aircraft. There were also casualties: three wounded federal elements were evacuated to hospitals in the capital.
The President asked for calm and recognized the work of the Armed Forces. But the question that hangs in the air is more complex: does this dismantle the CJNG or does it simply open the stage for a bloody struggle for its succession?
The final act of ‘El Mencho’ has already been written. Now a new work begins for Mexico, with an uncertain script and very high stakes.
