A recently established U.S. military-led intelligence unit played a pivotal role in supporting the Mexican military operation that resulted in the death of notorious drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias ‘El Mencho’. The shadowy leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) was killed during a raid in western Jalisco state on Sunday, triggering widespread retaliatory violence across multiple Mexican states.
The Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel (JITF-CC), formally launched last month, specializes in intelligence gathering against drug trafficking organizations operating along the U.S.-Mexico border. According to U.S. defense officials speaking anonymously, the multi-agency task force provided critical intelligence that aided Mexican authorities in locating one of Mexico’s most elusive criminal figures.
Mexican Defense Ministry officials confirmed receiving ‘complementary information’ from U.S. counterparts but emphasized the operation was exclusively planned and executed by Mexican forces without physical U.S. military involvement. A former U.S. official revealed that American agencies had compiled an extensive target package on El Mencho, incorporating intelligence from multiple law enforcement and security agencies.
The operation’s success represents a significant victory in Mexico’s protracted war against drug cartels responsible for smuggling billions of dollars worth of narcotics, particularly fentanyl and cocaine, into the United States. The Trump administration has intensified pressure on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government to combat drug trafficking, including threats of direct intervention.
Brigadier General Maurizio Calabrese, leading the JITF-CC, described how the task force applies counterterrorism methodologies developed against groups like al Qaeda and Daesh to map cartel networks. While noting fundamental differences in motivations, Calabrese emphasized the importance of identifying entire criminal ecosystems for effective disruption.
The aftermath of El Mencho’s death has been marked by extreme violence, with Mexican Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch reporting 25 National Guard members and one security guard killed in 27 separate cartel attacks. Authorities confirmed 30 cartel operatives and one bystander killed, with at least 70 arrests across seven states as government forces monitor potential cartel restructuring.
The JITF-CC represents part of a broader U.S. strategy that includes increased military operational control along the border and controversial strikes on suspected drug vessels in international waters, measures that have faced legal challenges from Democratic lawmakers and experts.