Military officials recovered rocket launchers and battlefield-grade weapons during a raid in Jalisco that left cartel chief Nemesio Oseguera dead.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Mexican military forces seized rocket launchers capable of targeting aircraft during a weekend operation that resulted in the death of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, widely known as El Mencho, according to The Associated Press.
The raid took place Sunday in Jalisco state during an attempt to capture Oseguera, 59, who led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, also known as CJNG. Authorities described the operation as one of the most significant actions taken against organized crime groups in recent years. The death of Oseguera marks the most prominent blow against a cartel leader since the recapture of former Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman approximately a decade ago.
During the operation, troops confiscated armored vehicles, drones, tactical equipment and a large cache of high-powered firearms typically associated with battlefield conditions rather than conventional law enforcement confrontations. Among the items recovered were rocket launchers capable of bringing down aircraft.
The cartel’s prior use of heavy weaponry has been documented. In 2015, CJNG used a rocket-propelled grenade to shoot down a Mexican army helicopter that was pursuing a cartel convoy, an attack that left at least 15 people dead and 19 injured.
Oseguera, originally from the western Mexican state of Michoacan, had longstanding ties to organized crime stretching back at least three decades. In 1994, he was tried in the United States on heroin trafficking charges and served three years in prison before returning to Mexico. After his release and return, he ascended through the ranks of the drug trafficking underworld.
Around 2009, Oseguera founded CJNG, which grew into one of Mexico’s most expansive criminal organizations. The group trafficked cocaine, methamphetamines, fentanyl and migrants into the United States and was known for employing drones and improvised explosive devices in violent operations.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jalisco cartel operates in at least 21 of Mexico’s 32 states and maintains activity throughout much of the United States. Authorities also describe it as a global criminal enterprise.
It remains unclear who will assume leadership of the organization following Oseguera’s death. Officials have not publicly identified a successor.
Original article
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