A newly established U.S. military-led counter-cartel task force provided intelligence support in Mexico’s operation that killed cartel leader El Mencho, marking a significant escalation in bilateral security coordination, Reuters reported.
A new U.S. military-led intelligence unit played a supporting role in Mexico’s high-profile operation against cartel boss El Mencho, according to a Reuters report citing American defense officials.
New Task Force at the Center of Intelligence Effort
The recently formed Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel (JITF-CC), formally launched last month, was created to map and dismantle drug cartel networks operating across both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
A U.S. defense official told Reuters that the task force provided intelligence ahead of Sunday’s operation but stressed that the raid itself was conducted solely by Mexican forces. A Mexican government source confirmed that no U.S. military personnel were physically involved in the mission.
Mexico’s defense ministry acknowledged receiving “complementary information” from U.S. authorities, without elaborating on the scope of that support.
Operation in Jalisco and Immediate Fallout
Mexican authorities killed Nemesio Oseguera, widely known as El Mencho, during an operation aimed at capturing him in the western state of Jalisco. The raid triggered violent reprisals, including burning vehicles and armed roadblocks across more than half a dozen states.
Oseguera, 59, was the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), considered one of Mexico’s most dominant criminal organizations. A former police officer turned cartel chief, he had evaded capture for years despite a $15 million U.S. reward for information leading to his arrest.
A former U.S. official told Reuters that Washington compiled a detailed target package on El Mencho, drawing from U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and shared it with Mexican authorities. He was described as being at or near the top of Washington’s priority list in Mexico.
US Military Expands Counter-Cartel Strategy
The creation of the JITF-CC signals a broader evolution in U.S. strategy against transnational drug trafficking. The task force’s mission is to “identify, disrupt, and dismantle cartel operations posing a threat to the United States along the U.S.-Mexico border.”
Brigadier General Maurizio Calabrese, who leads the task force, told Reuters that the U.S. military is applying lessons from campaigns against groups such as al Qaeda and Islamic State to analyze and map cartel networks.
“The cartels operate differently than al Qaeda or ISIS,” Calabrese said, noting that while only a few hundred individuals may sit at the top of cartel hierarchies, as many as 200,000 to 250,000 contractors could be involved in drug distribution logistics.
Political Context and Growing Pressure
The operation comes amid sustained pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to intensify efforts against cartels responsible for smuggling billions of dollars in cocaine and fentanyl into the United States.
According to Reuters, a second U.S. defense official said the new task force is part of a broader strategy that includes increasing U.S. military operational control along the border and expanded maritime interdiction efforts in the Caribbean and Pacific.
Jack Riley, a former senior official at the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Washington’s designation of Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations last year enabled broader military assistance, particularly in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
“Our surveillance capabilities are going to be probably unlimited,” Riley said, while warning that cartel leaders are adept at concealing their identities and movements.
The killing of El Mencho represents a major milestone in Mexico’s campaign against organized crime — and highlights the growing role of the newly established U.S. counter-cartel task force in shaping cross-border security operations.
