Who are CJNG? El Mencho cartel explained

The leader of the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) Mexican drug cartel has been killed during a security operation to arrest him, according to Mexico’s Ministry of Defense.

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” was wounded in the raid on Sunday in Tapalpa, Mexico, and died en route to Mexico City, the ministry said.

Four CJNG members were killed, three army personnel were also injured and the death has sparked chaos in the country, with reports of roadblocks, arson and flight disruptions from suspected cartel members across multiple states.

Below, Newsweek explains what the cartel is and who El Mencho was.

Who Are CJNG?

The CJNG cartel, founded in 2009, is one of the main suppliers of cocaine to the U.S. and earns billions from the production of fentanyl and methamphetamines.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has described it as among Mexico’s most powerful and violent criminal organizations and said it has a presence in all 50 U.S. states.

The Trump administration designated it as a foreign terrorist organization, and said its rise over the last 17 years arguably rivals another cartel, the Sinaloa cartel, in power and presence.

Who Was The CJNG Leader El Mencho?

Cervantes, 59, known as “El Mencho,” founded and led the CJNG. He was from Aguililla in Michoacan and before his involvement in CJNG, he worked for other cartels including the Milenio cartel.

In 1994, while living in the U.S, he was convicted by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California of conspiracy to distribute heroin and served nearly three years in prison, The Guardian reported. After his prison sentence, he returned to to Mexico. He was once a police officer, according to the newspaper, but Newsweek could not verify this.

U.S. indictments charged Cervantes with leading CJNG’s trafficking of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine into the U.S. and in 2025 the State Department branded him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, CNN reported.

U.S. authorities had offered up to $15 million for information leading to Cervantes’ arrest or conviction, while Mexico offered 300 million Mexican pesos for information leading to his arrest.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who formerly served as the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, wrote on X that Cervantes’ death is “a great development for Mexico, the U.S, Latin America, and the world.”

“The good guys are stronger than the bad guys,” he wrote. “I’m watching the scenes of violence from Mexico with great sadness and concern. It’s not surprising that the bad guys are responding with terror. But we must never lose our nerve.”

What Crimes Have CJNG Committed?

Authorities said CJNG used military-grade tactics, including deployment of armored vehicles, land mines and weaponized drones and linked the group to attacks such as the 2015 downing of a Mexican military helicopter, which killed nine law enforcement officials, according to historical accounts and Mexican authorities.

In 2019, the cartel entered Uruapan, Michoacan and killed 19 members of Los Viagras, according to Global Guardian.

In 2020, it carried out an assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles against the then-head of Mexico City’s police force.

After Cervantes’ killing, authorities and airlines suspended operations in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta amid arson attacks and roadblocks, while U.S. and Canadian officials issued warnings for Americans in parts of Mexico.