Mexican Officials Believed Trump Admin Could Launch Unilateral Raid In The Country If They Didn't Take On El Mencho

Mexican officials believed that the Trump administration could launch a unilateral raid in the country if they didn't take on Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," the longtime leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).

The LA Times detailed that Mexican Cabinet officials had discussed the potential fallout from capturing El Mencho given the sheer size of the cartel and the magnitude of his protective circle.

The outlet noted that he ad counter-drone radar scramblers and employed hackers to infiltrate military mainframes to keep track of government intelligence. Moreover, hundreds of operatives controlled all routes leading to his main compound. They were lined with land mines in concentric circles, with operatives only knowing the layout of their own area.

Elsewhere, the LA Times noted that during routine training of Mexican soldiers by U.S. special forces, the capture of the drug lord has considered a high priority scenario.

The outlet detailed that the operation began taking shape after a public official suspected of having close ties to the Jalisco cartel was arrested earlier this month. He provided leads that helped intelligence officials determine the drug lord's potential location.

General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo explained that Mexican forces effectively managed to locate El Mencho after tracking down a lover of his. He said that military intelligence managed to locate a man close to one of El Mencho's lovers, allowing them to determine his location. Once the person left the premise, officers confirmed that El Mencho stayed there. Forces then moved on to detain him, engaging in a shootout with cartel operatives there.

Trevilla Trejo noted that that El Mencho tried to escape while leaving a group of operatives behind to slow down government forces. He made it to a nearby wood, but forces pinned him down and wounded him. El Mencho was taken to a helicopter heading to Mexico City, but he died on the way.