How Mexico took down ‘El Mencho’: tracking a girlfriend and some crucial help from U.S. intelligence

Surveillance of a romantic partner helped put the Mexican armed forces on the trail of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel known as “El Mencho,” who was captured and killed Sunday, Mexican authorities said Monday.

Mexican Defense Secretary Gen. Ricardo Trevilla said that Sunday’s Mexican special forces operation, which included U.S. intelligence information, ended when special forces found Oseguera Cervantes “hidden in the undergrowth” in his home state of Jalisco. After several shootouts, eight gunmen were killed and the drug lord and two of his bodyguards were wounded. They were taken into custody and died on the way to Mexico City, Trevilla said.

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In all, more than 70 people were killed in the operation and the ensuing violence, including security forces, suspected cartel members and others.

Here’s how the capture of the country’s most powerful cartel leader and one of the United States’ most wanted fugitives unfolded, according to Mexican authorities:

Following a romantic partner

Both Mexico and the United States had spent years tracking “El Mencho,” who faced numerous outstanding arrest warrants for organized crime and drug trafficking in both countries.

This time, however, the intelligence efforts proved successful. Trevilla noted that military investigators identified and began following a trusted associate of one of Oseguera Cervantes’ romantic partners. This individual escorted the woman to Tapalpa, Jalisco, on Friday for a meeting with the drug lord. The military official explained that the exact location was confirmed by “very important additional information” provided by U.S. intelligence.

A land and air blockade

Once the woman left after spending the night with “El Mencho,” special forces finalized their plans, having confirmed he was staying in the area with a security detail.

Units from the Mexican army and the National Guard established a ground cordon, while six helicopters and additional special forces stood by in states bordering Jalisco.

The Mexican Air Force provided further support with reconnaissance and aircraft, Trevilla said. In the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, after his presence was confirmed, the operation began. Throughout the mission, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was kept informed of every development while on a tour in northern Mexico.

A violent response

Gen. Trevilla described the criminals’ response as extremely violent.

During the confrontation, he said “El Mencho” attempted to flee with two bodyguards while a heavily armed group remained behind to stall the military advance. The death toll at the scene reached eight, which Trevilla noted was four more than initially reported on Sunday.

Among the seized weaponry were two rocket launchers, including one identical to the model used by the CJNG in 2015 to down a military helicopter. That 2015 attack served as a grim milestone, proving the cartel was prepared to meet the Mexican authorities with lethal, full-scale force.

‘Hiding in the undergrowth’

Oseguera Cervantes attempted to take cover in a wooded area dotted with cabins on the outskirts of Tapalpa. Although the criminals were heavily armed with rocket launchers, Trevilla noted that they did not manage to deploy them. Special forces eventually “located him hiding in the undergrowth,” triggering another intense confrontation that left “El Mencho” and two of his bodyguards wounded.

During the chaos, a military helicopter was forced into an emergency landing after being struck by gunfire, and two individuals were apprehended at the scene. Three soldiers were injured in the engagement.

Dead en route

Once the scene was secured, the cartel leader and his bodyguards were loaded onto a helicopter for emergency transport to a nearby hospital. However, Trevilla confirmed they died en route, noting they were already in “critical condition.”

Following their deaths, the flight plan was redirected. Instead of landing in the Jalisco state capital, the bodies were flown to Mexico City to preempt any violent retaliation from the criminal organization.

$1,000 for every soldier killed

About 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Tapalpa, a logistics and financial operator known only as “El Tuli” reportedly offered gunmen a bounty of 20,000 pesos — over $1,000 — for every soldier killed, said Trevilla.

The defense minister also said “El Tuli” — allegedly Oseguera’s right-hand man — was the mastermind of a series of roadblocks, arson attacks and hits on government installations across Jalisco state.

Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said that the most severe violence occurred in Jalisco, where 25 National Guard members, a prison official, a prosecutor’s office employee and a presumed civilian woman were killed, along with 30 suspected criminals.

In neighboring Michoacán, four more gunmen died while 15 security personnel were wounded.

A paratrooper rifle brigade tracked down “El Tuli” and killed him in a shootout, seizing long and short firearms alongside nearly $1.4 million in mixed U.S. and Mexican currency. Still, retaliation from the cartel continued in several Mexican states.

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This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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