Mexican authorities have handed over the body of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as 'El Mencho', to his family, the Attorney General’s Office confirmed on Saturday. The notorious drug lord was killed by the Mexican army last week.
The handover followed the completion of all procedural protocols, including genetic tests to confirm blood ties between the deceased and the family member who requested the release, the office stated in a post on X.
El Mencho’s death sparked a wave of retaliatory violence across some 20 states, leaving more than 70 people dead. The bloodshed has raised concerns about potential impacts on tourism ahead of the FIFA World Cup later this year.
The US State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest. El Mencho led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful and fastest-growing criminal organisations, which began operating around 2009. In February 2025, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organisation.
Items found inside El Mencho’s final hideout in Jalisco state revealed a religious side to the feared cartel boss. The house contained a crucifix, a makeshift altar with figurines of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Jude Thaddeus and Saint Charbel Makhlouf, and a handwritten copy of Psalm 91, often used for protection.
