El Mencho

El Mencho was the alias of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a Mexican drug lord and the reported leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).

El Mencho was the alias of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a Mexican drug lord and the reported leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). He became one of the most wanted figures in Mexico and by U.S. authorities, and sources in 2026 report that he was killed in a security operation in Jalisco.

Identity

El Mencho was the nickname of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a Mexican criminal figure born on 17 July 1966 in Aguililla, Michoacán, Mexico. He became widely known as the leader of the CJNG.

Criminal career

Available sources describe him as rising through drug trafficking and organized crime before becoming a leading figure in the CJNG. The group expanded into multiple criminal activities and became one of Mexico’s most powerful cartels.

Death and reports

Multiple 2026 news reports state that he was killed in a security operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, and that he was 59 years old at the time. Earlier reports had circulated for years about his possible death or poor health, but these were not confirmed at the time.

Relevance

He was treated by Mexican and U.S. authorities as a major organized-crime target because of the CJNG’s influence and violence. His name became closely associated with the cartel’s expansion and notoriety.