National Defense

US Reportedly Helps Mexicans Put Down Notorious Drug Kingpin

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum (Photo via Office of Presidencia de Guatemala)

The United States allegedly provided the Mexican government with intelligence that helped locate cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Rubén Oseguera Cervantes according to Reuters.

The Mexican army conducted an operation Sunday to capture El Mencho which led to the infamous cartel leader’s death. The U.S. provided the Mexican government with a detailed target package about El Mencho to aid in his capture according to an anonymous former U.S. official who spoke to Reuters.

El Mencho was the leader and founder of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), becoming the most powerful cartel boss after Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s capture. DEA agent Kyle Mori estimated El Mencho’s net worth ranged from $500 million to over a $1 billion in 2019.

The Department of War established the Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel (JIATF-CC) under the U.S. Northern Command in January. The task force works with Homeland Security, the intelligence community, and law enforcement agencies to ensure operations are synchronized for “eliminating these narcoterrorist networks.”

It is unknown whether the JIATF-CC is the task force mentioned by the former U.S. official who spoke to Reuters. The former official also stated that El Mencho was near the top of the list for U.S. targets in Mexico according to Reuters.

A Mexican government source familiar with the operation told Reuters there was no U.S. personnel involvement in planning and executing the raid. No U.S. military personnel were physically involved with the operation according to Reuters’ source.

The U.S. Northern Command told the Daily Caller News Foundation they had no additional comment on the matter.

Following El Mencho’s death, armed CJNG members stormed the Guadalajara International Airport and made major threats of retaliation if CJNG demands were not met according to a report by the International Business Times. The Jalisco State Government issued a Code Red high security alert in response to the CJNG threats according to the International Business Times.