Extra caution is advised for travelers to Mexico following the death of El Mencho, the supreme leader of Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during a Mexican military operation.

Extra caution is advised for travelers to Mexico following the death of El Mencho, the supreme leader of Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during a Mexican military operation.

Christopher Landau, a senior official at the U.S. Department of State, stated on the 22nd (local time) that he had received reports confirming that Mexican security forces had killed Oseguera.

The Most Expensive Fugitive in the World

According to Fox News, Rubén Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes—also known as "El Mencho"—rose to prominence following the downfall of the powerful CJNG boss El Chapo. He grew the CJNG into one of the world's most powerful drug trafficking organizations after engaging in fierce competition with the Sinaloa Cartel for control of key drug smuggling routes into the United States.

El Mencho, killed during an operation in Jalisco, Mexico, on the 22nd (local time). [Photo=U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration]

Immediately after the death of El Mencho, who was a key architect in the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine, the Trump administration demanded that Mexican authorities extradite 37 members of the drug cartel to the United States.

Furthermore, the U.S. Department of State has issued travel advisories for cities in the Mexican states of Jalisco (including Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta), Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León, urging U.S. citizens to avoid going outdoors and to remain within their resorts.

Oseguera, a former police officer, is known to have founded the CJNG around 2009 after breaking away from the Sinaloa Cartel.

U.S. authorities had consistently increased the bounty on his head, most recently raising it to $15 million, making him one of the most expensive fugitives in the world.

Paul Craine, a former high-ranking official at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), once described El Mencho as "Public Enemy No. 1," stating that "he commands an army of thousands."

Brutal Killings Including Dismemberment

The CJNG is notorious for ruthless extortion and brutal murders, including dismemberment. They have built an image as Mexico's most powerful criminal organization by showing off their power through public displays of force and social media posts.

On the 22nd (local time), a soldier stands guard next to a burned-out vehicle in Coineo, Michoacán, Mexico, following the death of CJNG leader El Mencho. [Photo=AP]

In particular, they have carried out organized attacks against Mexican security forces; it has been alleged that in 2015, members of the group used rocket-propelled grenades to shoot down a military helicopter in Jalisco.

Fox News remarked, "The death of El Mencho eliminates one of the most influential figures in Mexican organized crime," adding that "the balance of power between rival cartels is expected to be reshuffled."

Meanwhile, reports that remaining members of the CJNG were holding travelers hostage have been confirmed as fake news.

Reporter Lim Yo-hee