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)
“El Mencho,” the leader of one of the world’s most dangerous cartels, was killed by Mexican security forces acting on intelligence from the CIA on Sunday morning. As a result, Mexico is now at war with the two largest cartels in the country, which presents both enormous opportunity and enormous risk in their war to regain control of the nation.
Why it matters: As the old cliché goes, nature abhors a vacuum, and the two largest cartels in Mexico are now without clear leadership. Will that make them more vulnerable, more dangerous, or both? The answer could determine whether real progress is finally made in the war on drugs, both in the US and across the border, or if the situation simply goes back to the way it was before.
The backstory: One of the “most ruthless drug kingpins”
On Sunday morning, Mexican security forces tracked down and killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” in the western state of Jalisco. El Mencho was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and was described by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins.” The US offered a $15 million bounty on El Mencho and provided intelligence to support the operation.
Under El Mencho’s leadership, CJNG had risen to become one of—if not the—strongest cartels in Mexico. The DEA considered them to be on par with the Sinaloa cartel, which has taken a step back following the arrest of “El Chapo” and many of its other leaders over the last ten years.
CJNG has a presence in 40 countries, nearly every US state, and runs its operations through roughly 90 different sub-organizations. They are one of the largest traffickers of cocaine, meth, and fentanyl in the world and are responsible for at least one-third of all the drugs that enter the US.
Beyond the drugs, though, the group is one of the most feared cartels in Mexico on account of the brutality and violence it wrought on those who got in its way. Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s top security official, went so far as to label the cartel as the “principal” organization in the country when it comes to violence.
Their weapons stockpile was such that they often outmatch the government forces that come against them, and, among cartels, they pioneered the use of drones in dropping explosives on their enemies.
And El Mencho was at the heart of it all, starting the cartel in 2009 and leading its meteoric rise across much of Mexico. But who was he, and why was he able to accomplish so much in so little time?
Who was El Mencho?
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes was born in Mexico and got his start working in the marijuana fields before illegally immigrating to the US in the 1980s. From there, he got involved in drug trafficking before being arrested and deported. Upon returning to Mexico, he enrolled as a municipal police officer in Jalisco, one of Mexico’s more rural states.
An assessment by TV Azteca later concluded that he used the time to learn the vulnerabilities of Mexican law enforcement. After then returning to the US, where he was again arrested and deported, he married into one of the local crime families and used the knowledge gained as a cop to build CJNG and avoid capture for decades.
As Gil Guerra describes, “Every publicly circulated photograph of him was decades old, and he avoided cultivating the popular legend status of some other cartel figures glorified in narcocorridos, ballads about the exploits of drug smugglers.”
As a result, where others were arrested or killed, he survived to become “the most wanted drug trafficker still operating freely in Mexico.” Or at least that was the case before Sunday.
Toward the end, El Mencho suffered from chronic kidney failure, and US agencies were able to track medical equipment shipments into the general area of the Jalisco mountains where he was hiding. A closer examination led them to his girlfriend, whom they were then able to follow to his exact location.
Now, with El Mencho gone, the question turns to what’s next for CJNG specifically, and the fight against the cartels more broadly.
What comes next?
In addition to killing El Mencho, Mexican forces also captured Audias “El Jardinero” Flores-Silva, CJNG’s most powerful non-family member and the person best positioned to lead the group next. El Jardinero was responsible for much of the group’s meth production, cocaine transportation, and weapons procurement. The DEA had a $5 million bounty on his head, which, while only a third of the price for El Mecho, demonstrates his standing in the organization.
Rubén Oseguera—known as “El Menchito”—would have been another option. He’s El Mecho’s son, but is currently serving a life sentence in the US after he was convicted on drugs and weapons charges in March of last year.
Still, the fact that CJNG forces were capable of disrupting airports and shutting down entire cities in at least 13 states after El Mencho’s death demonstrates that the cartel remains a force to be reckoned with. Moreover, the government is still at war with the Sinaloa Cartel, meaning they’ll now be fighting on two fronts. While there are some questions about whether they can maintain that struggle, it could also be exactly what’s necessary to make a lasting dent in the fight against these organizations.
As Mexico’s Security Chief, Omar García Harfuch, told reporters a few weeks before the attack on El Mecho,
For many years, Mexico and the United States targeted only one drug trafficker. That was to say, “Oh, we’ve arrested him.” And what changed? Nothing. Having isolated cases against isolated individuals, no matter how important they may be, does not change anything.
And the reason is simple. Taking out whoever is on top—both in an individual and organizational sense—just creates a vacuum that someone else will inevitably fill. Perhaps that person will be less qualified, less equipped, and less dangerous, but the basic problem is not going to go away.
For years, though, the power structure under which the Mexican cartels exist has been built around the Sinaloa and CJNG organizations. If both are removed at once, there does not appear to be a third group that is currently capable of taking their place. That may happen eventually, but the hope is that it would buy the government the necessary time to break the cycle.
Spiritual application: Mind the gaps
As I was thinking about a spiritual application for this article, it struck me that Satan’s strategies don’t really have to change all that much, regardless of whether the sins in question are on the level of massive cartels or tiny temptations. For instance, how often have you experienced the joy of defeating one temptation, only for something else to take its place? I know it’s happened to me more often than I’d care to admit.
You see, sin abhors a vacuum just as much as any other power in this world. And Satan knows it. He’s often willing to give us small wins and to even hold off on the next temptation for a time if doing so will make us more vulnerable to whatever he brings our way next.
Jesus spoke to this reality when he warned the scribes and Pharisees—as well as everyone in the crowds who were listening to their debate—that:
When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation (Matthew 12:43–45).
When our response to defeating one temptation is simply to go on with our day and try to get back to the way things were before, we’re just setting ourselves up to fail in the future. If, however, we can take that time to let God’s spirit fill the void instead, asking him to help us identify and address the root causes of our sin, then we can make real progress in our relationship with the Lord.
After all, Satan can only find room in the places we’ve closed off to the Holy Spirit.
Where are the gaps in your walk with God today?
News worth knowing
1. What to expect from the State of the Union address tonight
President Trump will deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term tonight, sometime after 9:00 EST. Coverage starts at 9:00, but presidents typically deliver their message well after that. The president addressed a joint session of Congress last year, but that did not technically count as a State of the Union address, even if it served a similar purpose.
Why it matters
From the Supreme Court’s decision on tariffs, to the talks over Iran’s nuclear program, continued controversy over ICE and DHS funding, the midterms this fall, and the escalation of the war on drugs after the Mexican government killed one of the nation’s most dangerous cartel leaders (more on that in today’s main Focus), President Trump has a lot of ground to potentially cover. Each of these subjects could have a profound impact on what will happen over the rest of the year.
What to watch
Whether the president seeks to stoke the flames or calm the tensions could be telling for how his administration will approach each story in the months ahead. With lower approval ratings than when he last addressed Congress, will he adopt a more conciliatory tone or double down on the more aggressive approach he has used thus far?
The Hill has more on the story
2. What’s next for Trump’s tariffs?
Last week, the Supreme Court overturned the legal avenues the Trump administration had previously used to impose tariffs. In response, the president immediately imposed a universal 10 percent tariff on the rest of the world, before upping it to 15 percent shortly thereafter. However, a great deal of uncertainty remains in markets around the world.
Why it matters
Among the most pressing questions is whether the United States will have to refund all or part of the estimated $175 billion in revenue collected since the tariffs were first imposed. Moreover, the EU paused the implementation of its trade deal with the US until more is known, and other nations are likely to do the same.
What to watch
Will the administration be able to find other avenues to impose tariffs, and if so, will the legal result be any different? Also, will global markets respond to the uncertainty with hope or fear? It shouldn’t take too long to find out.
The New York Times has more on the story
3. The war in Ukraine reaches its fourth year today
When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his forces across Ukraine’s border four years ago, he expected the “special military operation” to be over in a matter of days. He was wrong. Now, four years later, the objective of a quick victory has given way to a slow, methodical march across creeping battle lines while his drones and missiles bomb civilians from afar.
Why it matters
While Ukraine has paid a dear price in its struggle thus far, the greatest cost could still be years away. More than a third of their population has been displaced since the war began, with 5.3 million refugees settling in Europe. And a report last year found that at least 15 to 20 percent do not plan on returning, even after the war is over, with parents and youths particularly likely to stay. As such, when the time finally comes to rebuild, many of Ukraine’s best and brightest might not be there to help.
What to watch
With another round of talks tentatively scheduled for later this week and the fighting largely at a stalemate, do conditions for peace that both Ukraine and Russia could accept exist, or will one side need to falter first?
God is good
Leandro de Souza was once known as the “most tattooed man in Brazil,” with more than 95 percent of his body covered in ink. The tattoos were the outpouring of a life defined by addiction and prison. However, he gave his life to Christ after an evangelism group invited him to church at a municipal shelter in Bagé. Now, he has begun removing many of his tattoos—especially those on and around his face—and is set to begin his theological studies soon in preparation for ministry and mission work.
Kingdom impact
As de Souza said of his transformation, “One day I was rescued from the streets, from addiction, from prison, and from many other places that do not belong to God. Once again, I chose to renounce my own will, the will of the flesh, to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ . . . My dignity was restored. It’s not about me—it’s about Jesus.”
Prayer point
Will you pray that God uses Leandro, his testimony, and his tattoos to help others know Jesus?
Christian Daily International has more on the story
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