Mexican Military Traced Drug Kingpin Through His Girlfriend: AFP

A girlfriend of Nemesio Oseguera, the powerful leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel who was killed by the Mexican military, was key to locating him in Tapalpa, a picturesque village of vacation homes in western Mexico, Leticia Pineda reported for Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The 59-year-old Oseguera, nicknamed “El Mencho,” was wounded in a clash with soldiers on Sunday and died while being airlifted to a hospital. (Photo: United States Department of State)

The 59-year-old Oseguera, nicknamed “El Mencho,” was wounded in a clash with soldiers on Sunday and died while being airlifted to a hospital.

The operation was launched after Mexican military intelligence agents — supported by the US military’s Northern Command — learned that the woman planned to rendezvous with the drug lord in Tapalpa, about 130 kilometers from Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state.

Mexican Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla told reporters at a press conference Monday that the woman, “one of the romantic partners of ‘El Mencho,’” was brought to a house in Tapalpa by a trusted associate.

On Saturday, she met with Oseguera and later left, leaving him at the house with his security detail, Trevilla explained.

The National Guard’s Special Immediate Reaction Force planned the assault for Sunday using both land and air maneuvers. Soldiers approached the area without entering Jalisco initially “to keep the secret and thus retain the element of surprise,” Trevilla said.

Once authorities confirmed Oseguera’s presence — he was wanted for organized crime and weapons possession — they decided to raid the ranch.

“Honestly, it was a pretty violent attack,” Trevilla said, adding that Oseguera was apprehended in possession of an arsenal that included assault weapons and two rocket launchers.