MEXICO’S most feared narco kingpin was sent off in a blaze of gold, music and masked mourners at his funeral.
Armed troops stood guard at the cartel-funded ceremony as ambushed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes – better known as “El Mencho” – was laid to rest in a gold-coloured coffin following his dramatic death.
The 59-year-old boss of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) died after being wounded in a firefight between his bodyguards and Mexican special forces deployed to capture him in late February.
His funeral near Guadalajara, in Jalisco state on Tuesday – the cartel’s heartland – was a spectacle as brazen as his reign.
National Guard troops flooded the area to prevent fresh violence as mourners gathered for his send-off.
Many concealed their idenтιтies behind face masks as they followed the coffin through a cemetery.
Large floral tributes were carried into the funeral home – including one shaped like a rooster, a nod to the drug lord’s love of cockfighting.
Five lorries were needed to transport the mountain of flowers to the cemetery after most were sent anonymously.
The procession was accompanied by a live band playing ranchero music and narcocorridos – ballads glorifying drug lords.
As El Mencho’s gleaming coffin arrived at a chapel inside the cemetery grounds, the traditional song El Muchacho Alegre (The Cheerful Boy) rang out, local media reported.
After an hour-long ceremony, mourners followed the gold casket to a surprisingly modest grave.
Mexican outlets noted the plot was plain compared with the towering mausoleums that often mark the resting places of other cartel bosses.
El Mencho’s death unleashed immediate retaliation from the CJNG, one of the country’s most violent criminal organisations.
Cartel gunmen torched vehicles, blockaded highways and stormed streets across at least 20 of Mexico’s 31 states.
Plumes of smoke rose over Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta as cars and trucks were set ablaze.
Panicked tourists scrambled to flee through Guadalajara airport as armed gunmen reportedly stormed the terminal, firing sH๏τs and sending crowds diving for cover.
Residents were urged to stay indoors as bursts of gunfire echoed through cities for hours.
The death toll from the day of violence reached 73, including 25 National Guard members.
El Mencho was killed during a military operation at a luxury villa in the exclusive Tapalpa Country Club – a gated enclave popular with wealthy weekenders.
Troops had been tipped off to the hideout and ambushed the cartel chief as he attempted to flee through woodland behind the property.
He later died from his wounds while being airlifted away.
The United States had offered a $15million (£11.2m) reward for information leading to his arrest.
Since 2017, he had been indicted multiple times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
In February, the Trump administration designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel a foreign terrorist organisation.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration considers the cartel as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel.
Authorities say it operates in all 50 US states, distributing tonnes of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl.
It has attacked the Mexican military, sH๏τ down helicopters and pioneered the use of explosives launched from drones.
In 2020, it carried out a brazen ᴀssᴀssination attempt in central Mexico City using grenades and high-powered rifles against the then-head of the capital’s police force.
El Mencho’s killing has been hailed as a major victory for President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government, which has faced mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump to crack down harder on drug trafficking.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau hailed Oseguera’s death, calling him “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins”.
Yet fears are growing that the power vacuum could spark an even ᴅᴇᴀᴅlier internal war as factions within the cartel – estimated to have tens of thousands of members – battle for control.
A terrifying rumoured successor has already emerged.
Juan Carlos Valencia González – El Mencho’s stepson – is widely viewed as the “de-facto second in command” of the cartel.
Also known as El Pelon, Tricky Tres and O3, the dual US-Mexican citizen was born in Santa Ana, California, in 1984.
US authorities have charged him with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and using a firearm during a narcotics transaction.
A $5million bounty remains on his head.
Announcing the reward in 2021, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said: “[The] reward announcement underscores the US government’s commitment to pursuing the individuals and organizations that are causing the most harm in our communities.”
Despite being tipped for the top job, some analysts claim he “lacks influence” among other commanders.
