Death of El Mencho deals blow to Mexico-China drug nexus in Indian waters

Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, aka El Mencho, was killed in a military operation, disrupting the Jalisco New Generation cartel’s drug operations. His death curbs Mexican-Chinese cartel activities in Indian waters, aiding agencies in combating high-value meth trafficking

New Delhi: Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho”, Mexico’s most wanted and dangerous drug lord, was killed in a military operation.

Following the killing, there was coordinated violence across several Mexican states, which has prompted advisories from India, the US, and Canada. While his death comes as a relief for Mexico and the neighbouring countries, the Indian agencies, too, have much to smile about owing to this development.

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The narcotics racket in India is largely controlled by the Dawood Ibrahim syndicate, which has elements such as Haji Salim leading the operations. However, in recent times, other international players have started operating in Indian waters.

El Mencho’s name had cropped up when the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) had seized a mammoth consignment of drugs from a fishing trawler in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on November 25, 2024.

This was the first time that the agencies learnt that players from Mexico, in coordination with players from China, were part of the drug trade in India. What was unique about this seizure was the valuation of the narcotics that were being smuggled through the Indian waters.

The ICG seized 6,000 kg of Methamphetamine valued at Rs 6,000 crore. Officials say that narcotics of such high value can be handled only by big players. The agencies suspected that the consignment was moved by El Macho’s Jalisco New Generation drug cartel, which operates from Mexico.

It was also learnt that the operation was carried out in coordination with the Chinese cartel led by Tse Chi Lop, who is more famously known as Chinese El Chapo.

An official said that the agencies are already on their toes, handling the narcotics cartel run by Dawood Ibrahim and the ISI. In recent months, other international cartels began operating in Indian waters.

The elimination of El Mencho comes as a relief to Indian agencies, as the role of international players will decrease at least for the time being, the official added. The El Mencho-run cartel runs deep and wide.

It has Chinese players who, in turn, have appointed people from Myanmar to oversee the operations. Another official says this is a complex racket involving three or more countries. Hence, the agencies have to deal with multiple fronts to tackle this menace.

The role of El Mencho’s cartels in the Indian context dates back to 2019, when Methamphetamine was seized from the Andaman Sea. In that operation, the cartels used six Myanmarese nationals to undertake the operation.

Further, the agencies, during the course of their investigation, have found that the drugs that El Mencho’s cartel is smuggling are of very high quality in comparison to what Dawood smuggles. Hence, the demand is automatically very high, an officer explained.

Another officer explained that El Mencho, along with Chinese El Chapo, used the Andaman Sea extensively to traffic narcotics. The intended destination is not just India, but the maximum quantity was smuggled through the Indian waters into Thailand and other destinations in Southeast Asia. I

ndia has launched a massive drive against drugs. On one hand, the agencies constantly battle the D-Syndicate and adding to the headache was the involvement of players from China and Mexico. El Mencho, a former cop born in 1966, ran the organised crime group called Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

He was wanted both in the United States and Mexico. Under his command, he coordinated global drug trafficking operations. El Mencho tied up with Chinese El Chapo to carry out operations in the Asia Pacific sector. El Chap, whose cartel is known as The Company, immigrated to Canada from China in 1988 and acquired Canadian citizenship through naturalisation.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that it was El Chapo who had a direct involvement when it came to using the Indian waters to further his narcotic trade. The tie-up with El Mencho was beneficial to him as he got high-quality drugs in large numbers.

The nexus between the two cartels was so strong that together, including India, they controlled 70 per cent of the Asia-Pacific sector.

Another official explained that the death of El Mencho will slow down El Chapo’s operations, and this is a good sign for the Indian agencies. This is a big boost for the war against drugs, the official also explained.