How Mexico Took Down ‘El Mencho’: Tracking a Girlfriend and Crucial Help from U.S. Intelligence

Monitoring a romantic partner helped lead Mexican armed forces to Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes—known as “El Mencho”—who was captured and killed Sunday, Mexican authorities stated Monday.

Mexican Defense Secretary Gen. Ricardo Trevilla noted that Sunday’s Mexican special forces operation—incorporating U.S. intelligence—concluded when special forces located Oseguera Cervantes “hidden in the undergrowth” in his home state of Jalisco. Following multiple shootouts, eight gunmen died, and the drug lord plus two of his bodyguards were injured. They were taken into custody but died en route to Mexico City, Trevilla added.

In total,  including security forces, suspected cartel members, and others.

Here’s how the arrest of Mexico’s most powerful cartel leader—also one of the U.S.’ most wanted fugitives—played out, per Mexican authorities:

Following a romantic partner

Mexico and the U.S. had spent years pursuing “El Mencho,” who faced multiple active arrest warrants for organized crime and drug trafficking in both nations.

This time, though, intelligence efforts succeeded. Trevilla said military investigators identified and started tailing a trusted associate of one of Oseguera Cervantes’ romantic partners. This person accompanied the woman to Tapalpa, Jalisco, on Friday for a meeting with the drug lord. The military official clarified that U.S. intelligence provided “very important additional information” to confirm the exact location.

A land and air blockade

After the woman left following a night with “El Mencho,” special forces finalized their plans—having verified he was in the area with a security team.

Mexican Army and National Guard units set up a ground perimeter, while six helicopters and extra special forces waited in states adjacent to Jalisco.

The Mexican Air Force offered additional support via reconnaissance and aircraft, Trevilla stated. In Sunday’s pre-dawn hours—after his presence was confirmed—the operation launched. During the mission, Mexican  was kept informed of every development while on a tour in northern Mexico.

A violent response

Gen. Trevilla characterized the criminals’ reaction as highly violent.

During the clash, he said “El Mencho” tried to escape with two bodyguards, while a heavily armed group stayed behind to delay the military’s progress. The on-scene death toll hit eight—four more than initially reported Sunday, Trevilla pointed out.

Seized weapons included two rocket launchers—one matching the model the CJNG used in  That 2015 attack was a somber milestone, showing the cartel was ready to confront Mexican authorities with deadly, full-scale force.

‘Hiding in the undergrowth’

Oseguera Cervantes tried to hide in a wooded area with cabins on Tapalpa’s outskirts. While the criminals had rocket launchers, Trevilla said they didn’t deploy them. Special forces finally “found him hiding in the undergrowth,” sparking another fierce clash that injured “El Mencho” and two bodyguards.

Amid the chaos, a military helicopter made an emergency landing after being hit by gunfire, and two people were arrested at the scene. Three soldiers were hurt in the fight.

Dead en route

After securing the scene, the cartel leader and his bodyguards were loaded onto a helicopter for emergency transport to a nearby hospital. But Trevilla confirmed they died on the way, noting they were already in “critical condition.”

After their deaths, the flight plan changed. Instead of landing in Jalisco’s state capital, the bodies were flown to Mexico City to prevent violent retaliation from the criminal group.

$1,000 for every soldier killed

Roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Tapalpa, a logistics and financial operator called “El Tuli” allegedly offered gunmen a 20,000-peso bounty—over $1,000—for each soldier killed, Trevilla stated.

The defense minister also noted “El Tuli”—Oseguera’s alleged right-hand man—masterminded a string of roadblocks, arson attacks, and strikes on government facilities across Jalisco.

 stated that the worst violence happened in Jalisco, where 25 National Guard members, a prison official, a prosecutor’s office worker, a presumed civilian woman, and 30 suspected criminals died.

In neighboring Michoacán, four additional gunmen died, and 15 security personnel were injured.

A paratrooper rifle brigade located “El Tuli” and killed him in a shootout, seizing long and short firearms plus nearly $1.4 million in mixed U.S. and Mexican money. Yet, cartel retaliation persisted in several Mexican states.

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