Mexico's defence ministry has confirmed the death of 'El Mencho', one of the world's most notorious drug lords, following an operation by security forces. The operation sparked chaos in several regions, with arson attacks and highway blockades reported in more than six states, according to The Guardian.
Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, better known by his alias El Mencho, was killed on Sunday, Feb. 22, during an operation in the western state of Jalisco, along with at least six suspected associates.
Who Was El Mencho?
According to Reuters, El Mencho was born in 1966 in a remote, impoverished village in the mountains of Michoacan. He grew up in a region long associated with lawlessness, where fields of avocados have for decades stood alongside crops of opium poppy and marijuana.
As a child, he laboured on farms before heading north to the United States in search of opportunity, a period during which prosecutors say he became involved in the heroin trade. He was later arrested, served a prison sentence and was deported.
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Back in Mexico, he briefly joined the police before drifting into organised crime through the Milenio Cartel, an offshoot of the Sinaloa Cartel. Rising through the ranks, he earned a reputation as a feared enforcer after spells as a sicario, or contract killer.
After a botched bid to seize control of the Milenio Cartel, he broke away to form his own outfit, openly challenging the Sinaloa Cartel and, in partnership with a local money-laundering network, launching what would become the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The group took its name from the western state of Jalisco, whose capital, Guadalajara, is among the country's largest urban centres.
According to The Guardian, the group became synonymous with organised crime in Mexico. While it never achieved the global recognition of the Sinaloa cartel, the organisation is infamous domestically for its ruthless methods and heavily armed operations.
For years, Oseguera was able to operate largely unchecked in Jalisco, protected by bribes to police and efforts to secure political cover. Unlike JoaquÃn ‘El Chapo' Guzmán, former top leader of the Sinaloa cartel who cultivated global fame, El Mencho shunned the spotlight, surfacing mainly through profane audio clips circulated online in which he issued threats to rivals and state officials.
As per Reuters, his ability to evade arrest became legendary. In May 2015, as security forces closed in, his warning allowed gunmen to shoot down a military helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade, buying him time to flee. Those targeted by his organisation were seldom afforded such fortune, with beheadings and other brutal acts used routinely to instill fear.
US authorities had put a $15 million bounty on the head of El Mencho, alleging that he was responsible for moving large volumes of cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine across the border from Mexico.
The circumstances in which El Mencho was killed remained unclear on Sunday, as per The Guardian. The Mexican defence ministry said elite army units and the National Guard mounted an operation in Tapalpa, roughly 80 miles south-west of Guadalajara, to detain the fugitive, with backing from the air force and military intelligence. During the mission, officials said, troops came under fire and returned fire.
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How Much Did He Earn?
There is no confirmed public estimate of El Mencho's personal fortune, but intelligence assessments and media investigations have offered broad estimates. In 2019, US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said his wealth may have crossed the $1 billion mark, citing income from drug trafficking, money laundering and assets tied to his cartel.
Other analysts have taken a more cautious view, putting his holdings at no less than $500 million while acknowledging they could be more than $1 billion, reported Marca, a Spanish sport news daily.
A report by the American Spanish TV network Univision quoted DEA agent Kyle Mori saying, “He has at least $500 million and could be worth more than $1 billion."
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