El Mencho’s death leaves CJNG facing an uncertain future

Mexican drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, longtime leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed in a Mexican military operation on Feb. 22, 2026. A former police officer who built CJNG into a global narcotics network, he led one of the world’s most wanted cartels with a multimillion‑dollar US bounty. CJNG emerged in the 2010s from Milenio Cartel remnants and has a vast reach in drug trafficking, including fentanyl and meth, with operations spanning more than 40 countries. Analysts say the cartel functions as a franchise‑like network of about 90 organizations, so Oseguera’s death may not cripple the empire but could trigger leadership reconfigurations amid ongoing violence and supply chains.