El mencho leader CJNG killed in Mexico

Mexican Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo rejected a claim about Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, longtime leader of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) known as El Mencho, surrendered to troops before being killed in February.

Speaking during President Claudia Sheinbaum's daily press conference, Trevilla Trejo recalled that all troops must abide buy a law detailing what is to be considered a rational use of force.

The general recalled that three people died in the operation. "In the woods, where El Mencho was with two members of his escort, he was urged to surrender. He opened fire, killing an officer and the remaining forces, defending their lives, had to use their weapons. He is wounded then," he said.

Trevilla Trejo concluded by noting that forces tried to capture El Mencho alive, but "if people are dying, they have all the right to use weapons to defend themselves. Now, given the criminal's characteristics, it is clear that it was unlikely that he would turn himself in. He had a lot of weaponry on him."

The remarks follow a report by specialized journalist Luis Chaparro who, citing two sources within the Jalisco Cartel, said he had in fact "died at the hands of the Mexican army, unarmed and having surrendered."

"Why do you think the guard didn't fire their RPGs and rocket launchers?" one of the operatives told Chaparro. "The boss had a rifle. He was the first one to lay it down and surrendered, but they ended up killing him," the person added.

In another report, the LA Times claimed that El Mencho's detail was not on high alert the day he was captured because the drug lord had hosted a party the night before.

The outlet added that he wasn't able to be constantly on the move and avoid law enforcement because he had a late-stage kidney disease. This meant that he needed dialysis on a daily basis, preventing him from having the same kind of movement as other high-profile fugitives.

These factors, along with the recent arrest of a public official suspected of having ties with the Jalisco Cartel, helped shape the operation. The official provided leads that helped intelligence officials determine the drug lord's potential location.

Originally published on Latin Times