A US defence official told Reuters that a recently formed American task force helped support the mission with intelligence.
El Mencho killed: What happened in Tapalpa, JaliscoThe raid took place in Tapalpa, a mountain town south of Guadalajara. Mexican forces moved in following intelligence tracking cartel movements in the region.
Behind the scenes, the Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel – a US-military-led group launched last month – played a role in gathering and mapping cartel networks operating across the US-Mexico border. The unit brings together several American agencies with a focus on intelligence collection.
US officials said the task force was created specifically to identify leadership structures and financial routes tied to major cartels.
Who was ‘El Mencho’?
Born July 17, 1966, in Naranjo de Chila, Michoacán, Oseguera came from a farming family. He left school early. By the 1980s, he had migrated illegally to the United States, where he was arrested multiple times in California for drug and weapons offences.
In 1992, he faced federal heroin trafficking charges in Sacramento. According to a Merca 2.0 report, court records show he served about five years in prison in Texas before being deported to Mexico.After returning, he briefly worked with local police in Jalisco. He later joined the Milenio Cartel and began rising through its ranks.
How the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) was formed
Following internal splits in older trafficking groups – including after the 2010 death of Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Coronel Villarreal – Oseguera helped form what became the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Early on, it also operated under the name ‘Los Mata Zetas.’
Under his leadership, the CJNG expanded rapidly. It moved methamphetamine and cocaine through Mexico and into the United States, with reported links in Latin America, Europe and parts of Asia, according to reports.
US offered a $15 Million reward for any information on El Mencho
The US government offered up to $15 million for information leading to his capture or conviction, per Reuters. Mexican authorities also listed him among their top security targets.
Intelligence agencies have linked the cartel to direct attacks on federal forces since 2014 – including ambushes on security personnel.
What happens next
Officials have not released further operational details as investigations into the raid and its aftermath are continuing.
With Oseguera’s death, attention now turns to whether the new US-Mexico intelligence coordination will continue targeting remaining cartel figures.
