Body of notorious cartel boss "El Mencho" returned to family

The assemblage of the notorious cartel person known arsenic "El Mencho," who was killed successful a subject cognition past week, was returned to his family, Mexico's lawyer general's bureau said connected Saturday.

Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, who had a $15 million U.S. bounty connected his head, was wounded by Mexican information forces successful Jalisco and died portion being flown to Mexico City, officials said. The decease of "El Mencho" — who led the almighty Jalisco New Generation Cartel — sparked a question of unit by the cartel crossed a ample swath of Mexico, killing dozens of people, including 25 members of Mexico's National Guard.  

In a statement released Saturday, Mexico's lawyer general's bureau said it performed familial tests to lucifer the cartel leader's remains to the household who requested the body. The bureau did not bespeak wherever the handover took spot oregon place the relatives who took the body.

A crucifix, spiritual candles and a handwritten psalm were recovered successful Oseguera Cervante's location aft the operation, the Associated Press reported.  Mexican authorities said they tracked 1 of his romantic partners to the hideout.

Soldiers basal defender astatine the Federal Forensic Service, wherever the assemblage of cartel person Nemesio Oseguera, known arsenic "El Mencho," was believed to beryllium held aft a subject cognition successful which helium was killed successful the authorities of Jalisco, successful Mexico City, Mexico, February 25, 2026. Luis Cortes / REUTERS

A root briefed connected the cognition told CBS News the raid was the culmination of intensified U.S.-Mexico counter-cartel practice nether Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

A defence authoritative told CBS News a counter-cartel task unit the Pentagon established under U.S. Northern Command successful January "played a relation successful that the Joint Interagency Task Force regularly works with the Mexican military," but the authoritative emphasized that this was a Mexican subject operation, "so the occurrence is theirs." 

Mexico's Defense ministry said successful a connection that "complementary accusation was provided by U.S. authorities wrong the model of bilateral coordination and practice with the United States."

Homeland information officials are besides watching for a effect from the cartel's U.S.-based trafficking and fiscal networks.

The cartel, besides known arsenic CJNG, maintains distribution, logistics and money-movement infrastructure crossed the U.S. While officials told CBS News determination is nary denotation of an imminent menace to the U.S. arsenic a effect of the cognition that killed Oseguera Cervantes, instrumentality enforcement agencies are monitoring immoderate imaginable increases successful violence, coercion oregon debt-collection enactment wrong home trafficking corridors. 

In February 2025, CJNG was 1 of respective cartels designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the Trump administration.  

Eleanor Watson and Nicole Sganga contributed to this report.

In:

• Drug Cartels
• Mexico