Mexican military personnel located and surrounded the group to prevent them from escaping. Upon finding themselves cornered, they opened fire again against the National Guard and Armed Forces personnel. In this attack, an Army helicopter was affected, suffering a shot that forced it to make an emergency landing at a nearby military installation. Finally, after a fierce exchange of gunfire, the military repelled this second armed attack, wounding El Mencho and two of his bodyguards. During the operation, security forces seized numerous weapons, including Russian-designed RPG rocket launchers, the same model used in 2015 to shoot down a helicopter that killed seven Mexican soldiers. After arresting the CJNG leader, he was transferred to a medical center in Morelia, Michoacán, but “unfortunately” he died before arriving due to the severity of his injuries, explained General Trevilla. The Attorney General's Office (FGR) confirmed this Monday the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, 59, one of the most wanted criminals by Mexico and the United States, after performing a forensic analysis of the body and officially verifying his identity. The operation was the result of a joint intelligence process between Mexican and U.S. agencies, which allowed monitoring the CJNG leader's network of contacts. After months of surveillance, last Friday the fugitive —for whom the United States offered a $15 million reward— was located at a property in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco, a region considered a historical stronghold of the CJNG. Military intelligence also identified one of his romantic partners at the location, who abandoned the complex a day before the operation, while El Mencho remained with his security team. At that moment, it was decided to execute the military operation to capture him. The operation, led by the Mexican Army with the participation of the National Guard and special forces, had the support of six helicopters and several aircraft. This entire deployment aimed to “achieve surprise and take the initiative,” stated the Secretary of Defense, without giving details on the exact number of military personnel involved in the operation. The Air Force corroborated El Mencho's presence at the location, against whom there were two arrest warrants for organized crime. Upon detecting the military presence, the armed group accompanying the CJNG leader opened fire in an attack described as “very violent,” which was repelled by Mexican forces. Eight alleged members of the criminal group were killed and three soldiers were wounded. After the first exchange of gunfire, the drug lord and his security circle fled to a wooded area, hiding in the undergrowth.
