00:25El Mencho is dead.
00:27That is the claim reverberating across Mexico after reports that Nemesio Oseguera-Cervantes,
00:35one of the most powerful and feared drug traffickers in the world, was killed during a raid by Mexican authorities
00:41in Jalisco.
00:43Known by his alias El Mencho, Oseguera was the founder and supreme leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or
00:51CJNG,
00:53a cartel that rose in just over a decade to become one of Mexico's most dominant and violent criminal organizations.
01:01Born in Aguilía, in the state of Michoacán, El Mencho came from a rural background and became involved in drug
01:09trafficking in the 1990s.
01:10As a young man, he migrated to the United States, where in 1994 he was convicted by a California court
01:18for conspiracy to distribute heroin.
01:21After serving prison time, he was deported back to Mexico.
01:25Upon his return, he re-entered the criminal underworld with the backing of Ignacio Coronel Villareal,
01:32also known as Nacho Coronel, a senior figure within the Sinaloa trafficking network at the time.
01:38Following Coronel's death in a 2010 military operation, Oseguera moved aggressively to consolidate power.
01:46In 2009, he formally established the CJNG.
01:51What began as a regional armed group quickly transformed into a transnational criminal empire.
01:57The cartel became notorious for its militarized tactics, public displays of force, and direct confrontations with security forces.
02:07Under El Mencho's leadership, the CJNG trafficked massive quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the United States.
02:17According to the National Counterterrorism Center, its drug networks extended beyond North America, reaching markets in Australia, Canada, Europe, Africa,
02:28and South America.
02:29The cartel also battled fiercely with rivals, most notably the Sinaloa cartel, in a prolonged struggle for control over key
02:38trafficking routes and strategic territories across Mexico.
02:42El Mencho became one of the most wanted fugitives in the world.
02:47U.S. authorities indicted him multiple times on charges including conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.
02:56A multi-million dollar reward was offered for information leading to his capture.
03:01Now, according to reports, he was among seven CJNG members killed during or after a major raid by Mexican authorities
03:10in Jalisco.
03:11Four people were killed in the broader operation.
03:15Oseguera was reportedly wounded, airlifted to Mexico City, and later succumbed to his injuries.
03:21The aftermath was immediate and volatile.
03:24Criminal groups allegedly set vehicles ablaze, blocked highways in nearly 11 states, and triggered widespread disruptions.
03:33Schools closed in Guadalajara.
03:36Flights to the tourist hub of Puerto Vallarta were affected, with airlines suspending or diverting operations amid security concerns.
03:44If confirmed, El Mencho's death could mark a historic turning point in Mexico's long-running war against organized crime.
03:53But history suggests that the fall of a cartel kingpin does not always bring calm.
04:00Instead, it can ignite internal power struggles, splinter factions, and renewed violence.
04:06The question now is not only who El Mencho was, but whether his death weakens the CJNG or unleashes an
04:15even more dangerous and unpredictable chapter in Mexico's security crisis.
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