New photo reportedly shows cartel leader El Mencho dead

Published February 23rd, 2026 - 07:18 GMT
El Mencho
Photo reportedly shows El Mencho dead (Oscar Ramirez on X/ Twitter) Handout photo published by the US State Department on December 4, 2024, showing a reward poster for the powerful Mexican drug cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera. (Photo by - / US STATE DEPARTMENT / AFP)

ALBAWABA - In the past hours, videos flooded social media capturing the chaos in Mexico after the killing of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, best known as El Mencho and the most wanted man in the country.

The cartel took to Mexico's streets across the country, crashing, controlling, and destroying everything in their way to get revenge for the cartel leader. 

Mexican journalist Oscar Ramirez took to X (formerly Twitter) and reportedly posted the first filtered photo of El Mencho dead, after being executed by the military. Ramirez added, "We received this picture waiting for accurate authenticity."

New photo reportedly shows cartel leader El Mencho dead

According to the BBC, El Mencho was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and was best known for cultivating marijuana fields and being involved in narcotic crimes in California, which led to several arrests. 

The British newspaper reports that the cartel leader's assassination is considered a victory in both the US and Mexico. Additionally, the US confirmed providing intelligence support to the Mexican government to kill the cartel leader.

Before his killing, the US previously put a $15-million bounty on El Mencho's arrest. The notorious cartel leader was wounded during a military operation to arrest him in Tapalpa, Jalisco, near Guadalajara, and died while being transferred to Mexico City, according to a statement by Mexico's Defence Department.