It’s been almost two weeks since Mexican forces successfully neutralized the infamous cartel leader Ruben “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes. However, uncertainties linger about the potential repercussions for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and whether this significant event will substantially curb the fentanyl trade that troubles the United States.
Carlos De La Cruz, a seasoned veteran of the U.S. Air Force who served after the 9/11 attacks and later worked along the southern border, shared insights with Fox News. He emphasized that while the demise of the cartel leader is a considerable triumph, it shouldn’t be misunderstood as the battle’s conclusion.
“This is undeniably a major victory,” De La Cruz asserted. “El Mencho helmed one of the world’s most violent cartels.”
In the era following El Chapo, Oseguera gained notoriety for steering CJNG’s forceful expansion throughout Mexico and into pivotal drug trafficking routes that supply U.S. markets. Under his command, the cartel played a pivotal role in the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine, leading to a staggering $15 million reward from the U.S. for his capture.
In a dramatic scene captured on social media, smoke billowed from vehicles set ablaze during the military operation that reportedly led to El Mencho’s death in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on February 22, 2026.
Despite this victory, De La Cruz warned that the removal of a cartel leader does not necessarily dismantle the criminal organization. The fight against such entrenched networks continues, and vigilance remains crucial.
“Cartels don’t collapse when you just cut the head off — they fracture,” he said. “And part of that fracture is going to see a lot of short-term violence while all these factions fight over territory.”
Following Oseguera’s killing on Feb. 22, the U.S. State Department issued travel alerts in multiple Mexican states, citing road blockages and criminal activity tied to security operations, underscoring concerns about instability in the aftermath.
Drawing on his military background studying enemy command structures, De La Cruz described the cartel fight as a long-term campaign requiring sustained pressure.
A mughsot of Ruben “Nemesio” Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” beside graffiti depicting the letters of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, covering the facade of an abandoned home in El Limoncito, in the Michoacan state of Mexico. (Eduardo Verdugo/AP Images; Drug Enforcement Administration)
“You don’t win a war with just one airstrike,” he said. “The goal is dismantling the networks and going after their financing.”
De La Cruz, who is running for Congress and is the brother of Texas Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz, argued that CJNG’s Foreign Terrorist Organization designation gives U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies expanded tools to target cartel infrastructure and financial pipelines.
A soldier stands guard by a charred vehicle after it was set on fire in Cointzio, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, after the cartel leader’s death. (Armando Solis/AP Photo)
But he stressed that the fentanyl crisis should be viewed as a domestic security emergency, not a distant foreign problem.
“For decades, they were using their territories as launching pads to pump chemical weapons into America — because that’s exactly what fentanyl is,” he said.
De La Cruz, who said he worked side by side with Customs agents while deployed to the border, warned that cartel networks are highly adaptive and that any gains could be temporary without sustained follow-through.
Smoke rises after violence hit Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. (Courtesy of Scott Posilkin)
“These networks, they’re going to adjust. They’re going to adapt and they’re going to adapt quickly,” he said. “We have to continue to go after the money launderers, especially on our side of the border, because that’s the full fight.”
While Oseguera’s death removes one of the most dominant figures in Mexico’s criminal underworld, De La Cruz said the mission is personal.
“I took an oath to defend this country,” he said. “And I intend to stand by that oath.”
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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