Mexican authorities captured Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, brother of the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), on Tuesday. He was captured in the municipality of Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco, the Ministry of Defense (Sedena) announced shortly after 12 p.m Central Time the same day.
Antonio’s brother, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, is one of the most wanted criminals in Mexico. The U.S. government has offered a U.S. $10 million reward in exchange for his capture. His wife was detained in November 2021 and his son was extradited to the U.S. in 2020.
Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, nicknamed “Tony Montana,” allegedly laundered money and bought weapons for the CJNG, and was also allegedly involved in international drug trafficking and orchestrating attacks against rival groups. He was also arrested in Tlajomulco in 2015 on charges of drug trafficking and possession of military-grade weapons, but was released after a judge determined that he had experienced violations of due process.
Sedena cooperated with the National Guard and the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) to obtain information about Oseguera Cervantes’ location, the place where he also carried out his criminal activities.
“The arrest of Antonio ‘N’ represents a forceful blow to one of the criminal organizations in the country, as he is considered within its structure to be one of the main logistical and financial operators, as well as one of the main generators of violence,” Sedena said.
During the operation, Sedena also seized six handguns, a longarm, cocaine, two vehicles and nine ammunition clips.
The CJNG is one of the most powerful criminal groups in Mexico and is engaged in violent turf wars with rival gangs throughout the country.
Following the arrest, the U.S. Embassy issued a security alert to its citizens in Jalisco.
“The state of Jalisco has issued a state-wide Security Alert and increased security presence in the Guadalajara metropolitan area following the reported arrest of a cartel member. There is a potential for conflicts between police and criminal elements,” the embassy website states.
In the past, arrests of major cartel leaders have led to waves of violence. In August, cartel members burned vehicles and businesses in response to the arrest of a high-ranking member of the CJNG.
With reports from El Economista and El Universal
