politics
February 23, 2026
Who was El Mencho, the former police officer who co-founded an ultraviolent cartel in Mexico?
Drug lord who was killed by Mexican special forces on Sunday led a cartel known for aggression and military-style arsenal
TL;DR
- El Mencho, co-founder and leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed by Mexican special forces.
- The CJNG is Mexico's most powerful criminal organization, known for extreme violence, military-style arsenal, drone explosives, and mines.
- The cartel is considered a national security threat and has a presence in all 50 US states, supplying cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamines.
- El Mencho, formerly a police officer, had a long history in drug trafficking, including a conviction in the US in 1994.
- The CJNG split from the Sinaloa cartel and has been in a long-standing territorial battle with them.
- El Mencho was indicted several times in the US for conspiracy and distribution of controlled substances and firearms offenses.
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