CIA Intel Proved Pivotal in Killing Mexico's El Mencho

RunWithRugs · 2026-02-26T12:58:58+00:00

US intelligence, notably from the CIA, played a crucial role in the operation that led to the death of drug lord El Mencho, the Jalisco cartel leader. This collaboration enhanced Mexico's response capacity to US intelligence while maintaining its operational independence.

RunWithRugs

2026-02-26 12:58:58

Generación de resúmenes en curso

(MENAFN) US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, supplied Mexican authorities with critical information that led special forces to the hideout of Mexico’s most wanted drug lord, ultimately enabling the operation that killed him, The New York Times reported, citing US officials.

Mexican authorities announced Monday that they had pinpointed the whereabouts of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes — the longtime commander of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, widely known as El Mencho — by placing surveillance on a woman believed to be in a romantic relationship with the fugitive leader.

Investigators first zeroed in on a member of the associate’s inner circle, a trail that eventually led them to a direct encounter between the woman and El Mencho at the cartel boss’s concealed location.

Mexico’s Secretary of Defense Ricardo Trevilla Trejo confirmed that intelligence surrounding the romantic associate originated from the Mexican Army’s elite intelligence division. He nonetheless acknowledged that Mexican authorities had relied on “complementary information” furnished by US agencies to surveil the cartel leader’s network.

A source briefed on the operation said the intelligence contributed by the CIA had been “instrumental in removing” the cartel leader. Those with knowledge of the mission declined to elaborate on how the intelligence was gathered, noting only that the agency draws on multiple collection methods — among them human informants, aerial surveillance, and intercepted communications.

Throughout President Donald Trump’s administration, Washington has significantly ramped up intelligence-sharing with Mexico while mounting pressure on Mexico City to act decisively on the information provided. A Mexican official said the joint effort demonstrated that the government could respond “swiftly and effectively” to US-supplied intelligence.

Mexico has long resisted Washington’s push for joint raids targeting cartel infrastructure and leadership, insisting its forces are fully equipped to execute high-complexity missions independently. Several officials suggested that El Mencho’s killing could now bolster Mexico’s diplomatic standing as it continues to push back against US demands for joint operations or unilateral American drone strikes on cartel targets.

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