Mexican drug lord 'El Mencho' buried in golden coffin

2026-03-03 16:09:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Notorious Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as "El Mencho," was buried in a golden coffin by his family on Monday.

The cartel leader died after being wounded in a shootout between his bodyguards and Mexican special forces personnel deployed to capture him in late February.

The 59-year-old founder of the feared Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) was the most wanted man in the country, with the US offering a $15m (£11.2m) reward for information leading to his arrest.

His death sparked violence, in which cartel members set vehicles on fire and blocked roads in 20 Mexican states.

National Guard members were on standby to prevent further violence during the colorful funeral near Guadalajara in Jalisco state, a stronghold for the cartel.

Large flowers were seen being brought to the funeral home before the ceremony, including one in the shape of a rooster in a reference to his love of cockfighting.

According to the AFP news agency, it took five trucks to transport all the tributes to the cemetery, most of which were sent anonymously.

The funeral procession was accompanied by a musical group playing ranchero music and narcocorridos, songs praising drug lords.

The traditional song El Muchacho Alegre (The Cheerful Boy) was played as the gold-colored coffin of "El Menchos" arrived at a shrine located inside the cemetery, local media reported.

After an hour-long ceremony, attendees, many of whom concealed their identities by wearing face masks, followed the coffin as it was carried to the grave.

Mexican media noted that the tomb was relatively simple compared to those of other drug lords, who are often crowned with large mausoleums.

Under Oseguera's leadership, the CJGN became a powerful transnational criminal organization that spread from its stronghold in Jalisco to many other Mexican states, where it engages in drug production and trafficking.

The killing of Oseguera by Mexican special forces has been seen as a victory for the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum, which has come under increasing pressure from her US counterpart Donald Trump to do more to combat drug trafficking.

But there have been fears that the vacancy left by the powerful cartel leader could cause a surge in violence in the short term, as different factions within the criminal group, which is estimated to have tens of thousands of members, fight for control./CNA, translated by BBC