Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum
Via Getty Images
Mexican authorities confirmed there was cooperation with the U.S. in the operation that led to the killing of Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," the longtime leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
In a press release detailing how the developments unfolded, the country's Defense Secretariat said that "for the execution of the operation, as well as central military intelligence tasks, within the framework of bilateral coordination and cooperation with the U.S., there was complementary information from the country's authorities."
#UltimaHora #Comunicado@Defensamx1 se hace del conocimiento a la opinión pública que, con trabajos de inteligencia militar central, del Centro Nacional de Inteligencia y de la Fiscalía General de República (FEMDO), Fuerzas Especiales del Ejército Mexicano planearon y…
— @Defensamx (@Defensamx1) February 22, 2026
The information is noteworthy because of tensions about U.S. President Donald Trump's insistence on sending troops into the country to fight cartels. Mexican counterpart Claudia Sheinbaum has drawn a red line on the matter.
The New York Times detailed in a recent report that the Trump administration first made such a request since early last year but then dropped it. However, the topic was brought back to the conversation following the capture of Venezuela's authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro on January 3.
The NYT noted that officials have instead offered alternatives such as increased information sharing and for the U.S. to play a greater role inside command centers.
Mexican officials, the outlet added, are under pressure to reach an agreement, and some in the U.S. want to conduct drone strikes against suspected drug labs. However, fentanyl labs are difficult to find and destroy, and forces are still developing ways to do so.
Right now, the CIA is carrying secret drone flights over Mexico to identify possible locations. The intelligence is then given to Mexican forces, many of whom have been trained by U.S. counterparts to execute and conduct raids.
However, now Washington has proposed for forces to join the raids and provide support even if Mexican forces continue taking the lead and making key decisions.
There was no information about U.S. troops being on the ground during the operation that killed El Mencho, one of the most consequential blows to a major Mexican criminal organization in years.
According to reports from the AP, the operation occurred in the western state of Jalisco and was followed by roadblocks and burning vehicles, a tactic frequently used by cartels to slow security forces. The strike was part of an operation in the mountains of Jalisco and was framed as a major security success for President Claudia Sheinbaum's government.
Oseguera Cervantes rose from local criminal networks into the top tier of Mexico's underworld, becoming the face of CJNG's rapid expansion. The cartel emerged after fractures in earlier organizations, and over time built a reputation for combining sophisticated trafficking with aggressive territorial violence, as well as diversification into other illicit businesses.
According to In Sight Crime, CJNG is not just a cartel. It has been described by U.S. officials and researchers as a network that grew by absorbing or partnering with existing criminal cells in multiple regions, which is one reason "decapitation" events can trigger unpredictable splintering.
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Tags: Mexico, United States, Claudia Sheinbaum