A lover of the now-deceased cartel leader El Mencho accidentally betrayed him to Mexican authorities before he was shot dead during a sweeping operation Sunday, officials said.
Mexican forces killed El Mencho, whose given name was Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, during a drug raid that took place in the state of Jalisco in western Mexico, Metro.co.uk reported. El Mencho helmed the deadly Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
Mexican Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla told the press intelligence officials tracked down a man close to a lover of El Mencho, according to the New York Post. The woman was allegedly seen being taken to El Mencho’s remote mountainside compound in Telpapa, which allowed officials to deduce the drug lord’s whereabouts. (RELATED: Meet ‘El Mencho,’ One Of Mexico’s Nastiest Drug Kingpins)
Mexican intelligence discovered that, while she later had left the area, El Mencho and his closest allies and security detail remained at the said compound, officials said. Mexican military forces swept in and engaged heavily armed suspects, leading to a chase. Four were killed during the operation while three more died en route to the hospital, including El Mencho, officials said.
Trevilla said 25 Mexican soldiers lost their lives due to the operation while eight of El Mencho’s security detail were killed.
The CJNG has been known to target the Mexican military, even targeting helicopters, firing explosives via drones and deploying mines, Metro.co.uk reported. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has compared it to the Sinaloa Cartel. The CJNG rakes in billions of dollars from the distribution of drugs such as meth, cocaine and fentanyl to the United States and beyond. (RELATED: IMG Academy Paying $1.7 Million Fine After Accepting Tuition, Students Allegedly Connected To Mexican Drug Cartel)
The military operation and subsequent death of El Mencho has had a chaotic ripple effect across the nation of Mexico. Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said authorities apprehended 70 people nationwide in the wake of El Menche’s killing, according to Metro.co.uk.
It is common for cartels to set vehicles on fire and block roadways to stifle Mexican military operations, the outlet noted. President Donald Trump has previously pressured the Mexican government to step up its attacks on cartels.
The Daily Caller reached out to the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional for comment and for additional details on the tip that led to the raid but did not hear back by time of publication.
