President Trump's yearlong "total elimination" strategy against cartels led directly to the death of El Mencho. Here is how the U.S. took down Mexico's most wanted drug lord.
Total Elimination: Did Trump Doctrine Just Killed a Drug Lord (Image: X)
The most wanted drug lord in Mexico is dead. And his fall did not happen by accident. Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," was killed Sunday in a Mexican military operation in Tapalpa. Mexican forces fired the shots. But the United States laid the groundwork. Every step of the way.
Government documents and official statements reveal a yearlong strategy ordered by President Donald Trump. A policy of "total elimination." Not just disrupting cartels. Not just managing the problem. Destroying them completely.
It started on Day One. On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order. He directed the State Department to designate several cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, was on that list.
That designation matters. It unlocks military-grade surveillance. It allows "material support" prosecutions. It treats cartels like what they are: terrorist groups threatening American lives.
Then, on February 5, Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a memo to every Department of Justice employee. She announced a fundamental change. No more just mitigating harm. No more red tape. The new goal was "total elimination."
She told prosecutors to work urgently with Homeland Security and other agencies. To prioritize cartel leaders and managers. To treat this as a fight for U.S. sovereignty.
The Drug Enforcement Administration's 2025 National Threat Assessment called CJNG one of the most ruthless cartels in Mexico. They are a key supplier of fentanyl to the United States. The DEA said they pose a "significant threat to public health, public safety, and national security."
CJNG operates in almost all 50 states. They have distribution hubs in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. They have somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 members.
And they do more than just drugs. They handle extortion. They tax human smugglers. They run fraud schemes. They are a criminal empire with a terrorist mindset.
February 2025: The U.S. secured the extradition of 29 high-ranking cartel leaders from Mexico. Among them was Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, El Mencho's own brother, known as "Tony Montana."
March 2025: El Mencho's son and heir apparent, Ruben Oseguera-Gonzalez, "El Menchito," was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. He was also ordered to forfeit $6 billion in drug proceeds. He had been extradited during Trump's first term.
March 15, 2025: Trump designated fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. That authorized the use of advanced military assets to stop it at the border. CJNG's smuggling operations took a major hit.
June 2025: El Mencho's brother-in-law, José González Valencia, "La Chepa," got 30 years in federal prison. Another co-founder of the cartel's financial wing got the same. The Treasury Department also used the FEND Off Fentanyl Act for the first time. They cut off three major Mexican banks from the U.S. dollar system for laundering cartel money.
August 2025: Another 26 high-ranking cartel leaders were extradited from Mexico. This time including Abigael González Valencia, "El Cuini," another brother-in-law who ran money-laundering operations.
September 2025: The DEA and Homeland Security launched a nationwide weeklong surge targeting CJNG distribution networks. The results: 670 arrests. $18 million in cash seized. $29 million in assets seized. And 92.4 kilograms of fentanyl powder plus more than 1.1 million counterfeit fentanyl pills.
End of 2025: The DEA announced it had seized 47 million fentanyl pills total. Enough to represent more than 369 million lethal doses.
January 2026: The Department of War established a new task force. The Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel, under U.S. Northern Command. A whole-of-government approach to dismantle cartel operations threatening the border.
February 19, 2026: Just 72 hours before the raid that killed El Mencho, the Treasury sanctioned Kovay Gardens. A CJNG-controlled resort in Puerto Vallarta. They cut off a $300 million revenue stream flowing into the cartel.
Yes. Indirectly but crucially. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the United States provided intelligence support to the Mexican government for the operation. She said Trump "has been very clear the United States will ensure narcoterrorists are forced to face the wrath of justice they have long deserved."
Mexican forces carried out the actual raid. They fired the shots. But they knew where to go because American intelligence helped point the way.
A: A policy announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi in February 2025 to move beyond simply mitigating cartel activity and instead pursue the complete destruction of cartel organizations.
A: The White House confirmed the U.S. provided intelligence support to Mexican forces for the operation. The actual raid was carried out by Mexican special forces.
A: The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico's most powerful and ruthless criminal organizations. They are a key supplier of fentanyl to the United States and operate in almost all 50 states.
A: Yes. His brother Antonio was extradited and charged. His son "El Menchito" was sentenced to life in prison. His brother-in-law and other relatives were also convicted and imprisoned.
A: Yes. Designating cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations unlocked military-grade surveillance tools and allowed for "material support" prosecutions against anyone helping them.
Disclaimer: This information is based on inputs from news agency reports. TSG does not independently confirm the information provided by the relevant sources.
