India, February 25 (HBTV): Mexican special forces killed a senior Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) operative known as ‘El Tuli’ during an operation that followed the death of cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as ‘El Mencho,’ authorities said.
According to Mexico’s Defense Ministry, ‘El Tuli’ was the cartel leader’s top financial and logistics chief and helped orchestrate retaliatory attacks across Jalisco after the raid that mortally wounded Oseguera on Sunday.
Officials said he was fatally shot while attempting to flee, Reuters reported.
Defense Secretary General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo said Oseguera was injured in a firefight near Tapalpa, Jalisco, and died en route to Mexico City after his capture. Retaliatory violence then spread across multiple states, resulting in the deaths of at least 25 National Guard members and leading to dozens of arrests, officials said.
The deaths of Oseguera and his chief lieutenant marked one of Mexico’s most significant blows against a cartel in recent years and raised immediate questions about CJNG’s succession and the country’s short-term security outlook.
Officials reported widespread roadblocks, arson attacks, and assaults on government facilities after the raid, disrupting travel, tourism, and business activity in western Mexico, including Jalisco’s industrial corridor and tourist hubs.
Authorities identified ‘El Tuli’ as a top CJNG logistics and financial operator who acted as Oseguera’s right-hand man in Jalisco, coordinating the cartel’s response to the military offensive on Sunday.
Defense officials said he offered 20,000 pesos, about USD 1,160, for each soldier killed during the clashes. He was killed while attempting to flee in a vehicle during a security operation in El Grullo, Jalisco, according to Reuters.
Mexican authorities said they seized more than 7.2 million pesos and USD 965,000 in US currency, along with weapons and the vehicle used in his attempted escape. The assets were handed over to the Attorney General’s Office for financial tracing.