CIA Intel Pinpoints ‘El Mencho,’ Triggering His Death in Mexico
The Central Intelligence Agency provided Mexico with critical intelligence pinpointing the location of the notorious drug lord “El Mencho,” resulting in his death on Sunday.
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the longtime leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and Mexico’s most significant target to date, faced a swift and decisive end. His demise triggered an immediate retaliatory response from his cartel, which operates under the acronym CJNG.
Mexican authorities revealed that Oseguera Cervantes was located through a connection with one of his romantic partners. General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, Mexico’s defense secretary, stated that a specialized military intelligence unit within the Mexican armed forces played a key role in tracking him down.
Trevilla further noted that Mexican intelligence relied on supplementary data from U.S. agencies in the operation.
A confidential source emphasized that the CIA played a decisive role in his elimination following an intensification of U.S. intelligence cooperation and pressure on Mexico to act on the intelligence gathered.
The CIA initiated secret drone operations over Mexico during the Biden administration to target fentanyl production facilities and cartel figures. These missions have been significantly scaled up under the current administration, with CIA Director John Ratcliffe urging intelligence operatives to expand their networks of informants.
A Mexican official stated that the collaboration demonstrated Mexico’s capacity to swiftly and effectively respond to U.S. intelligence data—a capability precisely aligned with ongoing U.S. efforts to coordinate cross-border operations targeting drug labs and cartel leadership.
This operation follows the establishment, one month ago, of a dedicated task force by U.S. Northern Command specifically focused on combating drug cartels. The task force comprises 300 military and civilian personnel, with members drawn from U.S. intelligence services and law enforcement agencies.
