A recently established American military intelligence operation assisted Mexican forces in tracking down one of the world’s most wanted drug kingpins during a deadly weekend raid, according to a US defense official speaking with Reuters.
The operation targeted Nemesio Oseguera, better known by his alias ‘El Mencho,’ who led one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations. The Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel, a multi-agency American unit focused on gathering intelligence about drug trafficking organizations, contributed to the successful Mexican military mission.
This specialized task force began operations quietly in late 2023, with its primary mission being to chart the complex networks of cartel operatives operating on both sides of the border between the United States and Mexico, according to US government sources.
The American defense official, who requested anonymity when discussing the matter, declined to specify what type of intelligence assistance the US task force provided to Mexican authorities. The source emphasized that Mexican forces conducted the actual raid independently.
According to Mexico’s defense ministry, the confrontation occurred in Jalisco state in western Mexico, where gunfire erupted during the operation. Oseguera sustained severe injuries during the firefight and succumbed to his wounds while being transported by air to Mexico City for medical treatment. Mexican officials acknowledged that American authorities had supplied “complementary information” for the mission.
The successful operation triggered widespread retaliation across Mexico, with criminal associates setting vehicles ablaze and establishing roadblocks on major highways in more than six different states throughout the country.
