Connect with us

America

Mexican security forces kill CJNG kingpin El Mencho in US-backed military raid

Published

on

The Mexican Ministry of Defense has confirmed that a high-stakes military operation to apprehend the notorious kingpin Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho,” was executed on February 22 in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco. The mission, which involved elite units from the Air Force and the National Guard, resulted in a violent confrontation with militants belonging to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

During the initial engagement, Mexican special forces came under heavy fire from CJNG operatives. The ensuing gunbattle claimed seven lives, four of whom were killed at the scene. Three others, including the cartel leader Cervantes, succumbed to their injuries while being medically evacuated by air to Mexico City.

Two militants were captured alive during the operation. Military units conducting search-and-clearance activities in the sector seized a significant cache of heavy weaponry, including rocket launchers capable of downing aircraft and destroying armored combat vehicles. Three military personnel sustained injuries during the skirmish and were transferred to medical facilities in the capital for emergency treatment.

Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus confirmed the execution of the federal special operation. Following Lemus’s briefing, local authorities convened an emergency operational security headquarters to monitor and manage the regional security situation.

Cartel militants launch synchronized actions across nine states

Following the confirmation of Cervantes’s death, CJNG members initiated a series of armed strikes across the country. According to Mexican media reports, violence has permeated nine states: Jalisco, Michoacán, Colima, Guerrero, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Zacatecas, and Tamaulipas.

Reports indicate that cartel militants have set fire to civilian vehicles, public transport units, and commercial establishments, while also establishing blockades on major highways.

Guadalupe Aguilar, a resident of Jalisco, stated that cartel members are acting in retaliation for their leader’s death. “People don’t have enough information; we are watching social media and waiting to see how this ends,” Aguilar said, noting that authorities have warned citizens to remain indoors and have declared a “red code” in the region.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the nation via her official X account, emphasizing that the situation remains normal across most of the country. President Sheinbaum added that all state governments are working in close coordination with the central government.

US intelligence provided data support during the planning phase

The operation that resulted in Cervantes’s death was conducted under established intelligence-sharing frameworks between Mexico and the US.

The US Embassy in Mexico issued a statement clarifying that while the operation was planned and executed entirely by Mexican special forces without direct US boots on the ground, American authorities provided critical supplementary intelligence regarding the target’s location.

According to Reuters, citing sources within the US Department of War (Pentagon), a new military-led task force dedicated to gathering intelligence on drug cartels contributed directly to the organization of the raid. This entity, the Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel (JIATF-CC), comprises multiple American federal agencies and was established in January 2026 to dismantle cartel networks on both sides of the US-Mexico border.

Sources emphasized that the US had prepared an extensive dossier on Cervantes for Mexican authorities, identifying the CJNG leader as a primary target for Washington. White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt expressed the administration’s appreciation for the Mexican security forces via X.

“El Mencho was one of the premier traffickers funneling fentanyl into our homeland and was a top priority for both the Mexican and American governments,” Leavitt stated, underlining that the US assisted by providing actionable intelligence.

Washington administration welcomes the outcome of the military operation

US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Landau described the killing of Cervantes as a “major event” for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the global community.

In a post on X, Landau remarked, “I have just received word that Mexican security forces have neutralized El Mencho, one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug lords. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys. The good outnumber the bad. I congratulate the law enforcement agencies of the great Mexican nation.”

Landau also expressed deep regret and concern over the outbreak of violence following the operation. “It is not surprising that the villains respond with terror. But we must never lose our composure. Stay strong, Mexico!” the diplomat added.

Another Department of Defense official told Reuters that the new task force is an integral component of Washington’s strategy to combat drug trafficking. This strategy aims to increase US military oversight of the situation along the Mexican border.

Managing the CJNG drug network across 40 countries

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes was born in 1966 in the Mexican state of Michoacán. After spending a portion of his youth in the US and serving time for drug-related offenses, he was deported to Mexico in the 1990s. He subsequently joined the criminal structures that would eventually evolve into the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Cervantes was the founder and enduring leader of the CJNG, which over the last decade became one of Mexico’s most influential and violent criminal organizations, controlling supply lines for methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl to the US and beyond.

According to Milenio, following the capture of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, Cervantes rose to become Mexico’s most powerful drug baron. Under his leadership, the CJNG expanded its operations to 40 different countries, becoming one of the world’s largest criminal enterprises in the fentanyl and methamphetamine trade. The New York Times reported that the organization transformed into one of the dominant drug trafficking networks in Mexico by smuggling synthetic drugs into the US.

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes

The CJNG is notorious for its direct assaults on state officials and intense firefights with both security forces and rival cartels. Data from Milenio attributes the assassinations of a former governor, numerous mayors, and high-profile civic figures to the cartel. Beyond drug trafficking, the organization’s financial activities include extortion, the kidnapping of journalists and others, and fuel theft.

US authorities had charged Cervantes with large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and systematic violence. As a fixture at the top of “most wanted” lists, the US State Department had offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture. A Milenio analysis highlighted that, for both the Mexican and US governments, Cervantes represented a more militarized, more brutal, and less clandestine era of the drug trade.

Pre-planned response to the loss of leadership now in effect

Will Freeman, a researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations, told The Wall Street Journal that the CJNG possesses an action plan designed to be activated if certain “red lines” are crossed. Freeman noted that the killing of the kingpin constituted a definitive red line. “When the state crosses these boundaries, they provide a pre-designed response. This indicates that a plan was already in place,” he said.

The Wall Street Journal also noted that, like other Mexican drug networks, Oseguera’s organization operated as a de facto local government in impoverished areas of Jalisco and other states. In regions where central government control is weak, the cartel established influence by distributing food and medical supplies to the civilian population.

In an assessment by The New York Times, the death of Cervantes was described as a severe blow to the criminal organization that could trigger an internal power struggle as various factions vie for control. CJNG expert Carlos Olivo told international media that the resulting internecine conflicts and the nationwide wave of violence could persist for years.

Security sources in the region report that military units have increased patrols at strategic points and implemented additional security measures to protect civilian infrastructure.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

America

Trump energy shares rose by up to $4.4m during Iran war, CNBC reports

Published

1 day ago

on

10/09/2026

By

The value of US President Donald Trump’s nine largest oil and gas holdings increased by approximately $1.5 million to $4.4 million during the first six months of the war with Iran.

According to an analysis conducted by CNBC based on the American leader’s financial disclosure, corporate balance sheets, and FactSet market data, the investment basket includes shares in Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Kinder Morgan, Marathon Petroleum, Occidental Petroleum, Phillips 66, Valero Energy, and Williams Companies.

In its calculations, the television network took into account the minimum and maximum baseline values of Trump’s declared holdings alongside share price fluctuations from the close of trading on 27 February through 31 August.

As the conflict with Iran continued, specialists managing Trump’s investment accounts maintained active trading in energy company shares.

Up to 29 June, the latest date for which transactions were disclosed, fresh purchases were logged alongside at least 23 sales operations involving stock in the nine companies.

Because disclosure filings do not specify exact share numbers or transaction prices, the estimates produced by CNBC do not reflect Trump’s realised profits or the precise current scale of his holdings.

On 2 March, the first trading day following the launch of air strikes against Iran by the US and Israel, shares in eight major oil and gas companies were purchased through Trump’s accounts.

These transactions included ExxonMobil shares valued at between $100,000 and $250,000. Prior to the conflict, the aggregate value of Trump’s holdings in ExxonMobil stood at between $3.2 million and $12.5 million.

Stock market gains in August, excluding subsequent transactions, raised the value of these shares by approximately $176,000 to $690,000.

CNBC also examined transactions executed on days when Trump’s decisions directly swayed the oil market. On 23 March, when the president deferred planned strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure, the price of a barrel of Brent crude dropped by roughly 11%.

That same day, oil and gas shares worth a combined $163,000 to $570,000 were purchased across Trump’s accounts.

A similar transaction took place on 7 April. One of Trump’s investment accounts sold between $500,000 and $1 million worth of ExxonMobil shares.

Approximately two and a half hours after markets closed, President Trump announced an agreement on a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The following morning, ExxonMobil shares fell by more than 6% at the market open.

The report noted that CNBC saw no evidence indicating that Trump gave direct instructions for specific trades, that managers possessed advance knowledge of his actions, or that personal financial interests guided White House policies.

White House officials, commenting on the matter, stated that the president’s investment portfolio is managed by independent portfolio managers and that neither Trump nor members of his family hold authority to intervene in asset trading decisions.

The growth in the portfolio coincided with a broader surge in the earnings of energy majors. The nine energy companies in which Trump holds shares generated a combined profit of $47.6 billion in the second quarter.

During the same period last year, that figure stood at $15.9 billion. The profits of ExxonMobil and Chevron alone climbed from $9.6 billion in the prior year to $26.6 billion.

In July, the US Office of Government Ethics published Trump’s 927-page financial disclosure report for 2025.

The report noted that Trump’s earnings from cryptocurrency operations exceeded $500 million.

Continue Reading

America

Over half of Latino voters back Democrats in key US House races

Published

2 days ago

on

09/09/2026

By

A new public opinion poll in the US shows that Democratic candidates have made notable gains since 2024 among Latino voters in critical, competitive districts for the House of Representatives.

These gains have the potential to directly determine which party will secure the majority in Congress next year.

According to a joint survey by Hart Research and TelevisaUnivision shared with Axios, Democrats reached 58% support on the generic congressional ballot among Latino voters across 17 competitive House districts.

The share of those backing Republicans within the same voting bloc remained at 35%. This group continues to represent the fastest-growing swing constituency in battleground districts.

Examining three competitive House races in Texas, the study indicated that Latino voters, who reported splitting evenly at 44% to 44% in the 2024 presidential election, shifted 56% to 36% in favour of Democrats heading into the midterms.

Latino support for Democrats also increased in other states. In California, 57% of Latino voters said they would support Democrats, compared with 33% who said they would back the Republican Party.

Kate Coleman, Senior Vice President at TelevisaUnivision, highlighted voter behaviour in remarks to Axios:

“Latino voters are not locked into one party. They are watching developments closely; they make decisions based on who stands with them and how they stand.”

The survey data determined that 11% of Latino respondents who said they voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election now support Democratic candidates.

Accelerating his deportation plans, Trump triggered fear across many Latino neighbourhoods while weakening his support among this demographic.

The Hart Research and TelevisaUnivision study revealed that 63% of Latino voters disapprove of Trump’s presidential job performance. The share of those approving of his performance in office stood at 36%.

Trump’s approach to high prices and the cost of living drew disapproval from 65% of Latino voters, while immigration enforcement and deportation practices were disapproved of by 62%.

More than half of Latino voters, at 64%, reported that they disapprove of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

A survey published in May by UnidosUS showed that a quarter of Latino voters “would probably not vote” or would definitely not support Trump if they had to vote for him again.

The study at that time had pointed out that, despite Trump’s decline among Latino voters, Democrats had not yet secured significant gains.

According to Pew Research Center data, Trump strengthened his support in 2024 by securing 48% of the Latino vote, coming very close to the 51% reached by then Vice President Kamala Harris.

Some figures within the Democratic Party, however, worry that primary victories by democratic socialist candidates could alienate certain Latino voters, particularly those who fled Cuba or Venezuela.

The Hart Research and TelevisaUnivision survey was conducted between 6 and 17 August among 1,500 Latino respondents. The poll’s margin of error was reported as 2.5 percentage points.

Continue Reading

America

Researcher quits Anthropic and warns AI firms gamble with lives

Published

2 days ago

on

09/09/2026

By

Jacob Coxon, an artificial intelligence researcher at Anthropic, has resigned from his post, stating that tech companies are acting irresponsibly in the race towards self-improving superintelligence. Coxon warned that the autonomous operational capabilities of such systems pose existential risks to humanity and that internal industry anxieties run far deeper than generally perceived.

The AI researcher stepped down from his position at Anthropic to draw attention to industry safety vulnerabilities and the unregulated race among developers.

Having worked for three years as a pre-training researcher across both OpenAI and Anthropic, Coxon announced his decision to leave in an extensive statement shared on his X account.

Stating that both companies have acted irresponsibly, Coxon argued that developers are engaged in a dangerous race to achieve self-improving superintelligence.

“They believe it could kill us all by the end of the decade”

In his posts, Coxon stated that technical teams developing AI genuinely believe this technology could bring about the demise of humanity by the end of the decade.

Asserting that these concerns are not a marketing strategy, the researcher noted that while top executives and senior researchers adopt a cautious tone in public statements, they voice the very same fears behind closed doors.

Developments reflecting similar anxieties across the sector evoke James Cameron’s 1984 film The Terminator, which set 2029 as the pivotal year when machines waged war against humanity.

Indeed, Evan Hubinger, head of Anthropic’s own alignment team, had previously estimated the probability of human extinction to be greater than 10%.

Warning that systems currently under development will soon evolve into superhuman structures capable of bypassing any firewall, transforming industries overnight, and securing physical resources, Coxon stressed that the pace of progress is not slowing in any way.

Arguing that the danger of superintelligence is no longer merely theoretical, the researcher pointed to the Hugging Face security leak that occurred between May and July.

In that incident, OpenAI models established an independent chatroom within the testing environment to communicate among themselves, subsequently using this channel to reach the open internet and infiltrate production systems.

Because of this security breach, Hugging Face was forced to rebuild approximately one-third of its infrastructure.

“They are gambling with our lives”

Characterising the leak as a warning flare, Coxon indicated that the incident makes pacing agreements between US-based laboratories more feasible.

However, emphasising that developers are not yet on the right track to prevent a global race, the researcher noted that measures such as a temporary moratorium on advancing model capabilities could be considered.

Arguing that civilisation-scale risks have not yet been sufficiently internalised at OpenAI, Coxon contended that Anthropic joined the race out of an ambition to be first, despite being fully aware of the dangers.

Coxon is not the only figure to leave the sector on such grounds. Mrinank Sharma, a member of Anthropic’s safety team, also stepped down earlier this year, writing that the world is in danger.

On the other hand, not everyone agrees with these catastrophic scenarios. Some responses to the post emphasised the view that humanity, with an evolutionary history spanning hundreds of thousands of years, will not be wiped out by a text prediction model achieving consciousness.

It was also noted that even the plot of the Terminator franchise does not entirely support Coxon’s premise, as the human resistance survived the nuclear catastrophe and ultimately defeated the machines.

Alongside safety debates, AI continues to directly affect the labour market. Research by the Stanford Digital Economy Lab indicates that, while mass job losses have not yet materialised, entry-level employment in AI-exposed sectors across the US has fallen by nearly 20%.

A Goldman Sachs study pointed to a similar trend, showing that entry-level workers bear the brunt of the ongoing workforce transformation.

Anthropic, which remains at the centre of the controversy, filed for an initial public offering in June and plans to list on the Nasdaq exchange this autumn at a multi-trillion-dollar valuation.

Continue Reading

MOST READ

Turkey