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A newly formed U.S.-military-led task force focused on intelligence gathering against drug cartels played a supporting role in the Mexican military operation that killed Nemesio Oseguera, widely known as “El Mencho,” according to U.S. defense officials who spoke to Reuters.
The Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel (JITF-CC), officially launched last month, brings together multiple U.S. government agencies to map and disrupt cartel networks operating along the U.S.-Mexico border. While U.S. officials emphasized that the raid in Jalisco was carried out solely by Mexican forces, they confirmed that American authorities provided intelligence assistance.
A former U.S. official said the United States assembled a detailed target package on El Mencho, drawing from law enforcement and intelligence sources, and shared it with the Mexican government. Mexico’s defense ministry acknowledged receiving “complementary information” from U.S. authorities but stressed that no American military personnel were involved in the operation itself.
El Mencho, 60, was the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most influential and violent criminal organizations. Despite a $15 million U.S. bounty, he evaded capture for years. His death marks a significant development in Mexico’s fight against drug trafficking, including the flow of fentanyl and cocaine into the United States.
U.S. Brigadier General Maurizio Calabrese, head of the task force, said the military is applying counterterrorism experience to dismantle cartel structures. Officials estimate a few hundred core cartel leaders coordinate operations, supported by up to 250,000 collaborators.
The task force’s creation follows the Trump administration’s designation of Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, expanding U.S. military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Analysts say enhanced coordination and real-time intelligence sharing could intensify efforts to combat cross-border drug trafficking and organized crime networks.
