Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, nicknamed "El Mencho," considered the most feared Mexican drug lord and leader of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG), was killed on Sunday, February 22, during a large-scale military operation in the state of Jalisco. The kingpin had a $15 million U.S. bounty on his head and was considered a major security target for the Mexican government.
According to reports, the operation was coordinated with Washington intelligence. Twenty-seven arrests were also made during the raid.
The cartel's response: deaths, fires and blockades
News of Cervantes's assassination triggered a violent reaction attributed to CJNG members: at least 26 people were killed in total, including cartel members, a pregnant woman, and 17 law enforcement officers. At the same time, several areas of the country were hit by fires, looting, and roadblocks, set up to hinder authorities' operations and slow patrols.
The picture is one of a chain reaction: rapid, widespread actions with a clear objective: to demonstrate that the organization remains operational even without its leadership.
Succession, the "family" track and the "La Negra" candidate
With the death of "El Mencho," a crucial issue now arises: who will lead the CJNG. Expert sources and intelligence reports cited by the press speak of a succession that is not yet defined, with at least five figures considered "key" in the chain of command.
Among the names mentioned is his ex-wife Rosalinda González Valencia, often called "La Jefa," linked to the Valencia family (believed to be central to the financial and money laundering mechanisms of the CJNG/Los Cuinis area). According to the reconstruction, the two legally separated in 2018; González Valencia, arrested several times, was released in
2025 after a grant of early release for good behavior.
Also at the center of attention is his daughter, Jessica Johanna Oseguera González, 39, known as "La Negra," a US and Mexican citizen. Arrested in 2020 in Washington and sentenced to 30 months on charges related to transactions/businesses as a member of the CJNG, she was released in 2022 after serving 25 months. Her current whereabouts are unknown.
The other suitors and the risk of feuds
Also mentioned in the possible line of command are Juan Carlos Valencia González, alias “El 03” (stepson of “El Mencho”, indicated as a top figure and close to the armed wing Grupo Élite) and Hugo Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytán, known as “El Sapo”, considered a trusted right-hand man.
Among the profiles mentioned as strategic are also Audias Flores Silva (“El Jardinero”), Ricardo Ruiz Velasco (“El Doble R”) and Heraclio Guerrero Martínez (“El Tío Lako”), all indicated as having operational roles in areas under CJNG influence.
Security experts warn that the lack of a single successor could trigger a period of internal score-settling over control of routes, territories, and money flows, with the risk of renewed clashes, even between factions within the same organization. According to local press reports, authorities have already strengthened surveillance in the areas considered most exposed.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
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