Cartels outgun police: Rocket launchers seized in El Mencho raid spotlight CJNG firepower

Mexican forces seized rocket launchers capable of shooting down aircraft during the operation Sunday that killed cartel boss Ruben "Nemesio" Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," underscoring how the Mexican Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) amassed military-style firepower over the years.

Authorities have previously linked CJNG to a 2015 attack in Jalisco in which cartel gunmen used rocket-propelled grenades to bring down a Mexican military helicopter – one of the starkest examples of a cartel directly engaging federal forces with battlefield-grade weapons.

The assault marked a turning point in how Mexican authorities viewed the group’s capabilities.

During Sunday’s raid, officials said security forces were attacked and returned fire, deploying aircraft and specialized units to carry out the operation. Authorities said troops seized armored vehicles and heavy weapons, equipment more commonly associated with armed conflict than routine law enforcement.

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Mexican Special Forces, with aircraft assistance from the Air Force and National Guard rapid-reaction units, participated in the mission, highlighting the scale of force required to confront senior cartel leadership.

Former U.S. officials have described CJNG as operating more like a paramilitary organization than a traditional trafficking ring, using coordinated roadblocks, armed convoys and structured enforcement wings to assert control in contested regions.

In prior reporting, former Drug Enforcement Administration officials said the group commanded large numbers of gunmen and organized itself in a way that allowed it to deploy force quickly and visibly.

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CJNG’s tactics have included seizing vehicles and staging coordinated attacks in urban areas to demonstrate strength and deter rivals or security forces.

Over time, such displays reinforced its reputation as one of Mexico’s most heavily armed criminal organizations.

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The State Department issued a travel alert Sunday urging Americans in multiple Mexican states to shelter in place due to "ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity," reflecting the instability that can follow major cartel confrontations.

In recent years, Mexican authorities have increasingly relied on military forces – rather than local police – to confront senior cartel figures as groups like CJNG expanded their reach and arsenals.

The raid that killed "El Mencho" marked not only the removal of a powerful drug lord but also another example of how heavily armed cartels can challenge state forces in direct confrontations.