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After El Mencho’s Killing, Mexico Confronts CJNG Succession and Wider Cartel Wars

Analysts say the cartel’s franchise model keeps regional operations running despite the loss of its figurehead.

Newspapers hang on display for sale in Mexico City, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, a day after the Mexican army killed Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho." (AP Photo/Jon Orbach)
Soldiers stand guard at the Federal Forensic Service, where the body of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho," is believed to be held after a military operation in which he was killed in the state of Jalisco, in Mexico City, Mexico, February 25, 2026. REUTERS/Luis Cortes
Members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as 'El Mencho,' at an undisclosed location in Michoacan state, Mexico, in July, 2021.
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Overview

  • Mexican special forces killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera on Feb. 22 in a Tapalpa raid after U.S. intelligence pinpointed his location.
  • CJNG mounted coordinated reprisals across multiple states, with officials reporting 25 National Guard members, a state prosecutor and a civilian killed, and 30 gunmen shot dead by security forces.
  • Leadership remains unsettled with contenders including stepson Juan Carlos “03” Valencia, Ricardo “RR” Ruiz, Audias “El Jardinero” Flores and Abraham “El Yogurth” Ambriz, while Rubén “El Menchito” Oseguera is serving a U.S. life sentence.
  • The group’s diversified finances and penetration of legal sectors such as avocados, citrus and mining, along with laundering via Los Cuinis, shell companies and crypto, make asset recovery difficult.
  • Separate factional warfare in Sinaloa continues with thousands killed or disappeared, prompting a presidential visit and sustained federal deployments as authorities watch for succession‑related violence.