Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR) confirmed that it has fully identified the individual it considers the possible successor to Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” at the helm of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent criminal organizations.
Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR) has confirmed that it has fully identified the individual it considers the possible successor to Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” at the helm of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the most powerful and violent criminal organizations in the country.
The individual is Hugo Gonzalo Mendoza Gaytán, alias “El Sapo,” whom federal authorities describe as a key figure within the cartel’s structure and a suspected operator with direct backing from members of Oseguera Cervantes’ family. The disclosure comes amid sustained pressure on the CJNG from both Mexican authorities and U.S. agencies due to the group’s central role in the trafficking of synthetic drugs into the United States.
The identification of “El Sapo” was made public alongside a series of coordinated operations in Jalisco and Nayarit that led to the arrest of four alleged CJNG members considered major drivers of regional violence.
Key Arrests in Jalisco and Nayarit
During a search operation in Zapopan, Jalisco, members of the Mexican Army and the National Guard arrested José Gabriel Soto Martínez, known as “El Uber” or “Bravo,” identified as the leader of a CJNG cell operating in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. According to the federal security cabinet, the suspect is linked to drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, homicide, and arms trafficking.
Authorities also arrested Mauricio Cruz Arzola and Carlos Alberto Quezada Ceja during the same operation. Weapons, ammunition, approximately 500 doses of methamphetamine, several vehicles, a property, and multiple cell phones were seized.
The FGR later stated that “El Uber” operated as a plaza boss in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga and the greater Guadalajara area, a strategically important region for the CJNG due to its logistical and financial significance.
Direct Links to the Alleged Successor
In a separate statement, the Attorney General’s Office emphasized that José Gabriel Soto acted under the direct orders of “El Sapo,” whom it described as one of the leading candidates to succeed “El Mencho.” According to investigators, Mendoza Gaytán commands groups of armed enforcers and has family backing within the cartel’s historic leadership circle—an element often decisive in internal power struggles.
In parallel operations, federal forces arrested Luis Ignacio Cárdenas de Luna, known as “Cárdenas,” a regional CJNG operator in both Jalisco and Nayarit, in the city of Tepic.
Regional Impact and Binational Context
Security analysts note that these actions are aimed at disrupting the CJNG’s chain of command and curbing its operational capacity. For communities in both Mexico and the United States—including areas with large Latino populations—shifts in cartel leadership carry direct consequences related to violence, forced displacement, and drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl.
The FGR stated that the arrests are part of a sustained intelligence strategy designed to weaken criminal structures and reduce violence in western Mexico. Investigations into the possible successor to “El Mencho” remain ongoing.
