Top Cartel Leader El Mencho Killed in Mexican Military Operation, US Official Says

A burned vehicle used as barricade by organized crime members, following a series of arrests by federal forces, lies in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Feb. 22, 2026. Michelle Freyria/ReutersThe notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel was killed during a Mexican government operation on Sunday, according to the U.S. Department of State, in a move that decapitated one of the most powerful drug organizations in the country.Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” was killed by the Mexican military, said Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau in a post on X, confirming anonymously sourced reports about the drug lord’s demise.