Cartel kingpin killed by Mexico military was ‘Public Enemy No. 1’ in Chicago

NOTE: The above report aired in March 2025 about “El Mencho”

A drug cartel kingpin who was considered to be “Public Enemy No. 1” in Chicago has been killed by the Mexican military in an operation Sunday.

Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” was shot during an operation to capture him in Jalisco, and died while being transported to Mexico City, the country’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Cervantes was head of the “New Generation Cartel,” otherwise known as the CJNG, and the cartel is known for trafficking large quantities of fentanyl and other illegal substances into the United States, including Chicago.

The kingpin faced federal drug trafficking charges in Chicago, as well as in Mississippi and Washington, D.C., and he was the object of a $15 million bounty placed on him by the U.S. Justice Department. Mencho was under indictment in Chicago on charges that he oversees a criminal drug organization responsible for murders, mayhem and many millions of dollars in illicit profits.

The CJNG has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks against the armed forces, including helicopters, and has pioneered the use of explosives launched from drones and the laying of mines. In 2020, it carried out a spectacular assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then-head of the capital’s police force and current federal Secretary of Security.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) considers the CJNG to be as powerful as the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s most notorious criminal groups, with a presence in all 50 U.S. states. It is a major supplier of cocaine to the U.S. market and, like the Sinaloa Cartel, earns billions of dollars from fentanyl and methamphetamine production. However, the Sinaloa Cartel has been weakened by internal power struggles following the capture of its leaders, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, both of whom are in U.S. custody.

After Cervantes’ death, disturbances reported in at least nine Mexican states, including in Jalisco and Veracruz, according to officials.

His death sparked several hours of roadblocks, with cartel members alleged to have created vehicle blockades and burning buildings and gas stations.

Those tactics are frequently used by cartels to obstruct military operations, according to NBC News.

Air Canada and United Airlines have reportedly suspended flights to Puerto Vallarta amid the ongoing unrest.

The State Department issued a “Shelter-in-Place” warning in Jalisco State (including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara), Tamaulipas State (including Reynosa and other municipalities), areas of Michoacan State, Guerrero State, and Nuevo Leon State.

His 34-year-old son Rubén Oseguera González was sentenced to life in prison last year, a move that criminal justice experts said sent shockwaves through the cartel.

“I’m sure this this sent shockwaves through El Mencho’s organization” said Jack Riley, a former top officer at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. “We’ll have to see how this plays out in terms of other capture operations that are ongoing in Mexico right now.”

Riley famously directed the Chicago DEA office as special agent in charge.

“They’re getting a lot of pressure from the new administration. They’ve turned over a lot of people,” he told NBC 5 Investigates’ Chuck Goudie in March 2025.