Did the killing of ‘El Mencho’ in February change the cartel he led? US report offers clues

The killing of Nemesio Rubén "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, the founder and once-leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), did not result in large-scale fragmentation of the criminal organization, according to a U.S. State Department-affiliated security body. While there were reports of CJNG members retaliating against the operation by erecting narco-blockades and setting vehicles ablaze, analysts from the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) suggest that the organization may have experienced some structural weakening.

OSAC noted that "El Mencho's death sparked fears of potential intra-cartel violence, as some believed CJNG ranking members might compete for control over CJNG," but did not find evidence of significant violent competition for the top spot in the cartel. Instead, OSAC suggested that the absence of large-scale fragmentation and violent competition may be due to the fact that El Mencho's leadership had already begun to be supplanted by a network of powerful regional leaders, and that the organization's brand had outgrown loyalty to a single individual.

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