The Secretary of National Defense, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, informed that the leader of the CJNG died while being transferred to a hospital in Morelia, Michoacán, due to the severity of his wounds. During the operation, various weapons were also seized, including Russian-designed RPG rocket launchers, a model that has been previously used by the CJNG, including the 2015 attack in which a military helicopter was shot down and seven Mexican soldiers were killed. The Secretariat of National Defense reported the arrest of José “N”, alias “Pepe”, identified as a presumed logistical operator of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and pointed out as a key person in the events prior to the operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, which resulted in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes “El Mencho”, on February 22. In a press release, the V Military Region indicated that the arrest occurred on March 15 during land patrols carried out by Special Forces of the Mexican Army and the National Guard in the municipality of Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco. “José ‘N’ (a) Pepe, is considered one of the main logistical operators of the ‘CJNG’ and was the person in charge of transporting the sentimental partner of the late Rubén Oseguera Cervantes (a) Mencho, to Tapalpa, Jal., on February 22, 2026”, the institution stated. During the arrest, authorities seized drugs, weapons, and a vehicle. The detainee and the seized items were made available to the Attorney General's Office, through the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO) based in Guadalajara. The arrest occurs weeks after the military operation in which Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the CJNG, died, considered one of the most wanted criminals by Mexico and the United States, which offered a reward of 15 million dollars for his capture. The operation was the result of an intelligence process with cooperation between Mexican authorities and US agencies, which allowed Oseguera to be located at a rural center in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco. According to federal authorities, one of “El Mencho's” sentimental partners was on the property and left the place one day before the military deployment, while the CJNG leader remained with his security team. The operation was led by the Mexican Army with the participation of the National Guard, special forces, and support from the Air Force. For the operation, six helicopters and several planes were deployed. Upon detecting the presence of federal forces, the armed group protecting the criminal leader responded with an attack described by authorities as “very violent,” which led to a shootout that left eight presumed members of the criminal group dead and three soldiers injured. After the first exchange of fire, Oseguera Cervantes and part of his escort fled to a nearby wooded area, where a military cordon was established to prevent his escape. During a second confrontation, the armed men attacked the federal forces again, and an Army helicopter was hit by shots, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing at a nearby military installation. In that confrontation, Oseguera Cervantes and two of his bodyguards were injured.
