Khaberni - The killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho", on February 22, 2026, was not just the end of a cartel leader, but a significant milestone in a long series of strikes that targeted the top drug lords in Mexico in recent years.
With the exit of the founder of the "Jalisco New Generation" cartel from the scene, a long list of cartel leaders whose fortresses crumbled one after the other comes to mind, in a country that has been shocked for years by their transboundary influence and their ability to hide.
Here are some of the most prominent figures who have fallen in recent years:
Nemesio Oseguera "El Mencho": Killed during an armed clash with the Mexican Army in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco state on February 22, 2026. His death marks the end of the man who built one of the most armed and violent drug cartels in Mexico.
Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada: Arrested in July 2024 during an American intelligence operation, in which "El Chapo's" partner and the historical founder of the Sinaloa Cartel was lured onto a plane that landed him in Texas, ending about half a century of hiding and pursuit.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez: Arrested in July 2024 along with "El Mayo" aboard the same plane, he is the son of "El Chapo" and one of the masterminds behind the fentanyl trade that is draining American security, forming a major axis in the drug trade between Mexico and the United States.
Ovidio Guzman "El Raton": Also a son of "El Chapo", he was arrested in January 2023 after fierce battles in Culiacan, in his second arrest attempt after the first "failed" arrest in 2019, which ended with his release to avoid a massacre. Ovidio was later handed over to the United States to face the fate of his father.
Rafael Caro Quintero: Arrested in July 2022 after years of hiding in the mountains, known as the "godfather" of Mexican drugs, and wanted since the 1980s for the kidnapping, torture, and murder of an American agent in the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Jose Antonio Yepez "El Marro": Arrested in August 2020 as the leader of the "Santa Rosa" cartel, which was known for fuel theft and igniting violence in central Mexico, before falling into the hands of the army and federal forces.
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman: Arrested for the last time in January 2016 after his "cinematic" escape through a secret tunnel from a high-security prison in July 2015, he is now serving a life sentence issued in July 2019 in a high-security American prison.
Omar Trevino Morales "Z-42": Arrested in March 2015 in an upscale suburb of Monterrey, north of the country, he is a former leader of the infamous "Los Zetas" group.
Heriberto Lazcano: Killed in a clash with marines in October 2012. The death of this former special forces soldier and one of the founders of "Los Zetas" marked the beginning of the disintegration of the most powerful military criminal organization known to the country at that time.
Edgar Valdez Villarreal "La Barbie": Arrested in August 2010 near Mexico City, he was one of the prominent leaders of the Beltran Leyva cartel and one of the most notorious hitmen in the cartel wars. His arrest caused a big stir after years of being the bloody arm of the organization.
Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel: Killed in July 2010 during a raid conducted by the army on a house in the town of Zapopan near Guadalajara, he was considered one of the top leaders of the Sinaloa cartel and responsible for a large part of the cocaine and methamphetamine trade towards the United States.
Ezequiel Cardenas Guillen (Tony Tormenta): Killed in November 2010 in a violent clash with security forces in the state of Tamaulipas, northeast Mexico, and with his death, the Gulf Cartel lost one of its fiercest and most influential leaders on the Texas border.
