Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Oseguera and the second or maternal family name is Cervantes.
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes
Born (1966-07-17) 17 July 1966 (age 58)
Aguililla, Michoacán, Mexico
Other names
  • El Mencho
  • El Mata Zetas[a]
  • Don Nemesio
  • El Señor de los Gallos[b]
EmployerJalisco New Generation Cartel
PredecessorIgnacio Coronel Villarreal
Criminal statusWanted
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1996; div. 2018)​
[c][1]
Children4, including Rubén Oseguera González
RelativesAbigael González Valencia (brother-in-law)
Notes
Bounty: US$10 million offered from the U.S. government; MXN$30 million offered from Mexico's Office of the General Prosecutor (PGR).

Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes (Latin American Spanish: [neˈmesio oseˈɣeɾa seɾˈβantes]; born 17 July 1966, or 17 July 1964), commonly referred to by his alias El Mencho ([el ˈmentʃo]), is a Mexican drug lord and leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), an organized crime group based in Jalisco. He is the most-wanted person in Mexico and one of the most-wanted in the U.S. The US government, as well as the Mexican government, is offering US$10 million and MXN$30 million respectively for information leading to his arrest.

He is wanted for drug trafficking, organized crime involvement, and undocumented possession of firearms. El Mencho is allegedly responsible for coordinating global drug trafficking operations. Under his command, the CJNG became one of Mexico's leading criminal organizations.

Born into poverty in Mexico, El Mencho grew avocados and dropped out of primary school before immigrating illegally to the U.S. in the 1980s. After being arrested several times, he was deported to Mexico in the early 1990s and worked for the Milenio Cartel.[2] He eventually climbed to the top of the criminal organization and founded the CJNG after several of his bosses were arrested or killed.

His notoriety is also a result of his aggressive leadership and sensationalist acts of violence against both rival criminal groups and Mexican security forces alike. These attacks brought him increased government attention and an extensive manhunt. Security forces suspect he is hiding in the rural terrains of Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, and/or Colima, and is guarded by mercenaries with former military training.

In February 2022 unconfirmed reports began to surface stating that El Mencho had died from respiratory arrest while undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Guadalajara.[3]

However, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Kyle Mori, who heads the search for El Mencho, denied rumors of his death in an interview he gave to KFI AM's in March 2023.[4]


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  1. ^ "Infobae: Cómo es y qué se sabe hasta ahora sobre la nueva pareja sentimental del "Mencho"". 11 November 2022. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  2. ^ "The Brutal Rise of el Mencho". Rolling Stone. 11 July 2017. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  3. ^ "¿"El Mencho" está muerto? Se rumora la supuesta muerte del líder del CJNG; la FGR investiga". La Voz de Michoacán. 15 February 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  4. ^ "¿"Episode 407 - The $10 Million Fugitive". iHeart. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2022.