Trump wanted 'El Mencho' - Jalisco Cartel CJNG War - 'The One' - for his Collection of nearly 100 Cartel Members so far...
- 17GEN4
- Feb 23
- 2 min read
Mexico has recently sent several groups of accused cartel members to the U.S. to face charges, with the most recent transfer of 37 individuals occurring in January 2026. These transfers are part of ongoing bilateral security cooperation amid U.S. pressure on Mexico to combat drug trafficking.
Details of the Transfers Recent Handover: On January 21, 2026, Mexico transferred 37 individuals accused of belonging to various cartels to the United States. The suspects had pending cases in U.S. courts, and the U.S. agreed not to pursue the death penalty for them.
Total Transfers: This was the third major transfer in less than a year, bringing the total number of accused cartel members sent to the U.S. to 92 under the current Mexican administration.
Cartel Affiliations: Those transferred include figures from major criminal organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and the Beltrán-Leyva cartel.
Key Figures: Notable individuals in past transfers include the notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero (extradited in February 2025) and Pedro Inzunza Noriega, the father of a Beltrán-Leyva second-in-command who was named in the U.S.'s first terrorism indictment against a Mexican trafficker.
Context and Reactions U.S. Pressure: The transfers are largely seen as a response to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened military action against cartels within Mexico. Mexican Stance: Mexican officials, including President Claudia Sheinbaum and Security Minister Omar García Harfuch, have emphasized that these were "sovereign decisions" made in the interest of Mexico's national security, in part to prevent the individuals from continuing operations from Mexican prisons. They maintain that U.S. military intervention is not necessary.
The Mexican Army was supposed to apprehend El Mencho but ended up killing him.
"El Mencho" is an alias for Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a notorious Mexican drug lord and leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The name itself does not have a specific meaning in Spanish, but it is widely recognized in the context of organized crime.
El Mencho is a nickname derived from the name Nemesio, commonly used in Mexican Spanish. It is a phonetic and affectionate diminutive form, similar to how other Spanish names are shortened (e.g., Nacho from Ignacio, Pancho from Francisco). The term gained global notoriety as the alias of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), who was killed in a Mexican military operation on February 22, 2026.
While "Mencho" can occasionally be a regional nickname for names like Clemente or Domingo, in this context, it is directly tied to Nemesio, reflecting a common pattern in Spanish-speaking cultures where names are altered for familiarity or ease of use.
The full title "El Mencho" translates literally to "The Mencho" or "The One", often used to signify dominance or authority—particularly in criminal or regional contexts. It has become synonymous with power, fear, and infamy due to its association with the cartel leader.
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