Cartels outgun police: Rocket launchers seized in El Mencho raid spotlight CJNG firepower

Mexican forces seized rocket launchers susceptible of shooting down craft during the cognition Sunday that killed cartel brag Ruben "Nemesio" Oseguera Cervantes, known arsenic "El Mencho," underscoring however the Mexican Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) amassed military-style firepower implicit the years.

Authorities person antecedently linked CJNG to a 2015 onslaught successful Jalisco successful which cartel gunmen utilized rocket-propelled grenades to bring down a Mexican subject chopper – 1 of the starkest examples of a cartel straight engaging national forces with battlefield-grade weapons.

The battle marked a turning constituent successful however Mexican authorities viewed the group’s capabilities.

During Sunday’s raid, officials said information forces were attacked and returned fire, deploying craft and specialized units to transportation retired the operation. Authorities said troops seized armored vehicles and dense weapons, instrumentality much commonly associated with equipped struggle than regular instrumentality enforcement.

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Ruben "Nemesio" Oseguera Cervantes, known arsenic "El Mencho," was killed during a Mexican cognition successful Jalisco connected Sunday. (Drug Enforcement Administration)

Mexican Special Forces, with craft assistance from the Air Force and National Guard rapid-reaction units, participated successful the mission, highlighting the standard of unit required to face elder cartel leadership.

Former U.S. officials person described CJNG arsenic operating much similar a paramilitary enactment than a accepted trafficking ring, utilizing coordinated roadblocks, equipped convoys and structured enforcement wings to asseverate power successful contested regions.

In anterior reporting, erstwhile Drug Enforcement Administration officials said the radical commanded ample numbers of gunmen and organized itself successful a mode that allowed it to deploy unit rapidly and visibly.

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CJNG is known for its paramilitary-style operations and structure. (Eduardo Verdugo, File/AP Photo)

CJNG’s tactics person included seizing vehicles and staging coordinated attacks successful municipality areas to show spot and deter rivals oregon information forces.

Over time, specified displays reinforced its estimation arsenic 1 of Mexico’s astir heavy equipped transgression organizations.

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Smoke rises into the entity implicit Puerto Vallarta during an cognition targeting cartel enactment connected Feb. 22, 2026. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

The State Department issued a question alert Sunday urging Americans successful aggregate Mexican states to structure successful spot owed to "ongoing information operations and related roadworthy blockages and transgression activity," reflecting the instability that tin travel large cartel confrontations.

In caller years, Mexican authorities person progressively relied connected subject forces – alternatively than section constabulary – to face elder cartel figures arsenic groups similar CJNG expanded their scope and arsenals.

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The raid that killed "El Mencho" marked not lone the removal of a almighty cause lord but besides different illustration of however heavy equipped cartels tin situation authorities forces successful nonstop confrontations.