00:22He was untouchable.
00:25For more than a decade, that was the belief surrounding Nemisio Oseguera Cervantes, the elusive founder of the Jalisco New
00:33Generation Cartel, known to the world as El Mencho.
00:38On February 22, 2026, that belief shattered in the mountains of Tapalpa.
00:47Before dawn, Mexican special forces, backed by the Army, Air Force, and National Guard, launched a precision raid on a
00:56suspected cartel compound.
00:58The mission had one objective, capture the most powerful drug lord in Mexico.
01:05For years, he had evaded authorities.
01:09A $15 million U.S. bounty hung over his head.
01:13Intelligence cooperation between Mexico and the United States, including support from United States Northern Command, reportedly helped pinpoint his location.
01:23Then came the assault.
01:27Helicopters thundered over rugged terrain southwest of Guadalajara.
01:32Troops stormed the stronghold.
01:35Gunfire erupted.
01:37CJNG gunmen responded with heavy weapons.
01:40Explosions echoed through the hills.
01:46Armored vehicles and high-caliber firearms were later seized, underscoring the cartel's military-grade capabilities.
01:54At least four cartel members were killed at the scene.
01:58Three Mexican soldiers were wounded but survived.
02:02El Mencho himself was gravely injured in the crossfire.
02:06Captured alive but in critical condition, he was rushed onto a military helicopter bound for Mexico City.
02:13He never arrived.
02:15Mexico's Secretariat of National Defense confirmed he died en route from the wounds sustained during the firefight.
02:23In total, at least seven cartel members, including El Mencho, were reported dead.
02:29But his death did not bring calm.
02:32Within hours, cartel loyalists unleashed coordinated retaliation.
02:38Highways were blocked with burning buses, vehicles torched, businesses set ablaze.
02:44In cities like Puerto Vallasta and Zapopan, flights were diverted, schools closed, and smoke rose over major roadways.
02:55Panic spread across more than a dozen states.
02:58The so-called narco-blockades were seen as both revenge and a show of force.
03:06Under El Mencho's leadership, the CJNG had evolved into a global trafficking powerhouse, challenging even the powerful Sinaloa cartel.
03:16His iron grip kept the organization unified.
03:20Now, that grip is gone.
03:26Experts warn that while his death marks one of the biggest blows to organized crime in over a decade,
03:33it could also trigger internal power struggles, splinter factions, and renewed bloodshed.
03:41Mexico has captured kingpins before.
03:44History shows that removing a cartel leader does not always end violence.
03:50Sometimes, it reshapes it.
03:53For now, authorities treat his death as final.
03:58No public images have been released, but multiple Mexican and U.S. officials have confirmed it.
04:04The era of El Mencho is over.
04:08The question is, what rises from the ashes of the empire he built?
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