Almost two weeks after the media and criminal earthquake caused by the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho”, President Claudia Sheinbaum broke her silence on speculation of an alleged direct intervention by foreign agencies.
During her morning conference on Wednesday, the governor was categorical: the objective was the capture to comply with court orders, and the fatal outcome was the result of a direct aggression against members of the Sedena.
Sheinbaum denies U.S. pressure in operation against El Mencho
Morning press conference. Wednesday, March 04, 2026 https://t.co/qXOFcY5Ofj
– Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) March 4, 2026
The President of Mexico denied that the operation that resulted in the death of the leader of the Jalisco Cartel – New Generation (CJNG), Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias El Mencho, on February 22 was due to pressure from the US government.
“That was not the objective (to lower the U.S. pressure). It is very important and I want to repeat it. This person had an arrest warrant or several arrest warrants,” he stressed.
He explained that the military deployment was intended to comply with court orders and that the federal forces were responding to an aggression.
“So, the operation was to detain him. The problem is that they received aggressions, the Secretariat of National Defense, and responded at the time,” he said.
The president emphasized that the action was not due to external demands, and insisted that there was only an exchange of information with the US.
“But it was not done in any way, not because of U.S. pressure, far from it. Of course, there is U.S. intelligence information that was used specifically,” he pointed out.
Sheinbaum also announced that next Friday she will visit the city of Guadalajara (west), almost two weeks after the military operation in which Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco Cartel – New Generation (CJNG) and one of the most wanted drug lords by Mexico and the United States, was killed.
According to authorities, the wave of violence following the military operation left 25 members of the National Guard and more than 30 members of the CJNG dead, in addition to roadblocks, burned gas stations, vehicles, cargo transportation and commercial establishments.
El Mencho, 59, was one of the most wanted criminals by Mexican and U.S. authorities, with a million-dollar reward for information leading to his capture.
Filed under: Sheinbaum pressure US El Mencho
With information from EFE
