Cartel Leader El Mencho killed: Why his daughter was released early from a US prison and Trump’s role in it

Mexican security forces have killed El Mencho, the powerful drug lord who headed one of Mexico’s most formidable criminal organizations. According to the Mexican Secretariat of National Defence, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho," was wounded during a clash with soldiers in the town of Tapalpa on Sunday, February 22. He later died while being airlifted to Mexico City.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the country’s security forces in a post on X and urged the public to remain calm. “There is absolute coordination with the governments of all states,” she wrote. “In the vast majority of the national territory, activities are proceeding with complete normality.”



Following reports of his death, Christopher Landau, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, described “El Mencho” in a social media post as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins.”


Also Read: US, Canada issue shelter-in-place and travel warnings as chaos hits Mexican airports after forces killed drug lord 'El Mencho'

El Mencho’s daughter was released early from prison under a law signed during Trump’s first term

El Mencho’s daughter, Jessica Oseguera, was released from US prison nearly a month ahead of schedule after benefiting from a criminal justice reform law signed by Donald Trump during his first term.

Jessica Oseguera, also known by the alias “La Negra,” was sentenced to 30 months in prison in June 2021 for helping manage her father’s drug-trafficking proceeds through a network of cartel-linked businesses. She was released from custody on March 14, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, despite her official release date being April 13, as reported by Univision.

Her early release was made possible by the First Step Act, signed into law in December 2018, which aimed to reduce the US prison population by expanding eligibility for sentence reductions and early-release credits. As Vice noted, the legislation was designed to address mass incarceration in the world’s largest prison system.

Oseguera was arrested in February 2020 after she appeared at a Washington, D.C. courthouse to attend a hearing for her brother, a moment that led to her detention and subsequent prosecution by US authorities.

Who was El Mencho, the cartel leader killed today in Mexico?

El Mencho, whose real name was Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, was one of the most powerful and feared drug lords in Mexico. He was the founder and top leader of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), a criminal organization that emerged in 2009 and rapidly became one of the country’s most violent and influential cartels.

Born on July 17, 1966, in Aguililla, Michoacán, Oseguera Cervantes rose from relative obscurity to dominate large parts of Mexico’s drug trade. Under his leadership, CJNG developed vast trafficking networks for cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, with a strong supply chain into the United States, per the US State Department.

US authorities had placed a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction. He was indicted multiple times since 2017 in the US District Court for the District of Columbia on charges including drug trafficking conspiracy, firearms offenses, and operating a continuing criminal enterprise under the Drug Kingpin Statute.

"More recently, CJNG operatives, allegedly under Oseguera Cervantes’ direction, were involved in assassination attempts of Mexican government officials," the State Department said in December 2024.

El Mencho’s wife arrested in 2021

El Mencho’s wife has previously marked a significant moment in Mexico’s fight against organized crime. Mexican security forces had detained Rosalinda González, who is suspected of managing the financial operations of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

As per the BBC, who cited Mexico's Defence Ministry, González was arrested in Zapopán, the same city where she had been detained earlier in 2018. At the time, authorities accused her of playing a key role in laundering cartel money through a network of front businesses.

She was later released on bail while awaiting trial on money-laundering charges, after paying 1.5 million pesos (about $78,000).