Mexican Authorities Hand Over Body of Notorious Cartel Leader ‘El Mencho’ to Family

Mexico City — The Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed Saturday it has handed over the body of Rubén Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the notorious cartel leader known as “El Mencho,” to his family members after completing all required protocols.

Authorities announced the delivery occurred following genetic testing to confirm blood relationships between the deceased and those requesting the remains. “For this purpose, genetic tests were conducted to confirm that blood relationships indeed existed between the person requesting the delivery and the deceased,” officials stated.

Under heavy security in Mexico City, two funeral vehicles entered the Federal Forensic Center of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office where Oseguera Cervantes’s body had been held. The facility remained under strict guard by federal forces, who established a security perimeter around the area to ensure the integrity of the process.

The presence of military personnel and specialized agents in the vicinity confirmed the importance authorities placed on the operation. The remains of “El Mencho” underwent forensic examinations to confirm his identity and cause of death.

The movement was observed by national media outlets that have closely followed the trajectory of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and its principal leader. The criminal organization, under Oseguera Cervantes’s command, extended its influence across different regions of Mexico and up to 60 countries worldwide, consolidating a criminal structure with broad reach and generating sustained violence.

The figure of “El Mencho” has been at the center of public attention and judicial investigations in recent years. His death represented a high-impact shift in organized crime dynamics in Mexico and a new reconfiguration.

The security deployment around this event reflected the weight of the information at stake and the importance of forensic procedures conducted at the Federal Prosecutor’s Office facility.

Tension persisted in the area surrounding the forensic center as federal authorities reinforced surveillance against any eventualities.

On Wednesday, February 25, a legal representative identified as a spokesperson for the deceased’s family filed a formal request for delivery of the mortal remains. The process was ongoing, with the Federal Prosecutor’s Office noting all protocols were being followed before proceeding with the corresponding delivery.

Since Monday, February 23, Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch said the Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed Oseguera Cervantes’s identity through genetic analysis, expressing total certainty that it was “El Mencho,” the world’s most wanted drug lord.