By Jack Phillips

The 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.

The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG and started in 2009, is one of the most powerful and fastest growing criminal organizations in Mexico.

“I’ve just been informed that Mexican security forces have killed ‘El Mencho,’ one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins,” Landau wrote. “This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys.”

Landau also made reference to videos and reports of violence in Mexico following his death. “It’s not surprising that the bad guys are responding with terror. But we must never lose our nerve,” he wrote.

Last year, the Trump administration designated CJNG and other Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. CJNG has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks on the military and is one of the first to start launching explosives from drones and installing mines.

In 2020, it carried out an elaborate 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 now federal security secretary.

The State Department considers the cartel to be among the most powerful in Mexico and accuses it of trafficking fentanyl, migrant trafficking, theft of oil and minerals, and weapons trading.

“The group has contacts across the Americas, as well as in Australia, China, and Southeast Asia,” said the department when it announced it would be designated as a terrorist group. “CJNG has conducted intimidating acts of violence, including attacks on Mexican military and police with military grade weaponry, the use of drones to drop explosives on Mexican law enforcement, and assassinations or attempted assassinations of Mexican officials.”

El Mencho has been significantly involved in drug trafficking activities since the 1990s. He was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 1994 and served nearly three years in prison. Following his release from custody, he returned to Mexico and reengaged in drug trafficking activity.

A poster shows the $10 million reward notice for the kingpin of the Cartel de Jalisco Nuevo Generacion, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” at the Justice Department in Washington on March 11, 2020. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

The cartel leader’s death comes as the U.S. military continues a monthslong campaign of striking boats in the Caribbean Sea it says are trafficking drugs into the United States, as well as its elaborate capture last month of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. In public remarks, President Donald Trump has signaled that the United States would soon carry out land strikes against drug organizations, saying its military would be hitting them “very hard” in a mid-February interview.

In a bulletin on Sunday, the U.S. Embassy warned American citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero, and Nuevo Leon states that they should remain in a safe place due to ongoing security operations and road blockades.

The alert advises citizens to avoid areas with law enforcement activity, seek shelter, be aware of their surroundings, monitor media for updates, follow the directions of authorities, and to avoid crowds. It also says that people should keep their friends and family members updated about their location and well-being.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.