Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, the infamous "El Mencho" and leader of the hyper-violent Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed Sunday in a daring raid by Mexican special forces, authorities confirmed late last night. The operation marks a major victory in Mexico's endless war on drug cartels, though experts warn it could unleash fresh waves of bloodshed.

El Mencho, believed to be in his late 50s, started life in rural Michoacán as a poor avocado farmer who dropped out of school young. He briefly tried his hand as a police officer before plunging into crime, rising through the ranks of the Milenio Cartel in the 2000s. By 2010, he had co-founded the CJNG after a bloody split from Sinaloa allies, transforming it into one of the world's most powerful and ruthless trafficking outfits.

Unlike flamboyant bosses like Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, El Mencho operated in the shadows, directing operations from hidden mountain strongholds. His cartel dominated fentanyl production and smuggling into the U.S., while terrorizing communities with extortion rackets, fuel pipeline thefts, and massacres that left thousands dead.

The U.S. had slapped a staggering $15 million reward on his head—the highest for any cartel figure—after hiking it in December 2024, putting him on par with fugitives like Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram labeled him the agency's top priority, tying CJNG to surging American overdose deaths. His family felt the pressure too: son Rubén "El Menchito" Oseguera got life in U.S. federal prison last year, while his wife and daughter faced money-laundering charges. Despite drone strikes, army sweeps, and tips from captured lieutenants, El Mencho dodged elite hunters for over a decade. Leaked recordings revealed his paranoia and command style, once raging at corrupt cops for shaking down his crews.

Mexican officials hailed the raid near the Michoacán-Jalisco border as a "precision strike" using intelligence from U.S. partners, but details remain scarce—no photos or body confirmation yet to avoid reprisals. CJNG swiftly retaliated with roadblocks and attacks on police in Guadalajara, signaling internal power struggles ahead.

Analysts like those at the Brookings Institution note that El Mencho's death mirrors El Chapo's 2016 fall: it decapitates leadership but rarely dismantles networks. CJNG's web of sicarios, corrupt officials, and global fentanyl labs could splinter into warring factions, worsening violence in key states like Jalisco and Guanajuato. For now, the drug war grinds on, with no end to the opioid crisis in sight.