El Mencho Is Dead, But Will Fentanyl Trade Stop In Mexico And US?

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

The drug is up to 50X stronger than heroin and 100X stronger than morphine; it's easier to conceal and transport, a key factor in its rapid spread across North America

• PUBLISHED: Wed 25 Feb 2026, 7:00 AM

• By:
• Mazhar Farooqui

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The death of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, marks the end of an era for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). His rise coincided with the cartel's aggressive expansion into fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that reshaped the North American drug market.

Under his leadership, CJNG was among the first major cartels to mass-produce and traffic fentanyl at scale, turning it into one of the most lucrative narcotics in the United States.

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As early as 2013, El Mencho's son, Rubén Oseguera González, known as“El Menchito” – later sentenced to life in the United States – spoke of“doing it big” by building an operation around counterfeit OxyContin pills laced with fentanyl.

The organisation followed through. The model was straightforward.

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By the mid-2010s, CJNG had become one of Mexico's two dominant producers of illicit fentanyl, sending large quantities into the United States and generating billions in revenue, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Synthetic and stronger

Fentanyl is fully synthetic. Unlike heroin or cocaine, it does not depend on crops or vast plantations. Chemical precursors, many legally manufactured in China, are shipped to Pacific ports where CJNG has influence. In clandestine labs across Mexico, the chemicals are processed into powder and pressed into counterfeit pills designed to resemble prescription drugs, including blue“M30” tablets, fake Percocet, and imitation Xanax bars.

Its potency explains its appeal. The drug is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Small quantities are easier to conceal and transport, a key factor in its rapid spread across North America.

Fatal consequences

Provisional US data show more than 72,000 overdose deaths in the 12 months ending September 2025. That is a decline from the previous year, yet still among the highest levels recorded. Synthetic opioids, overwhelmingly illicit fentanyl, remain involved in the majority of these deaths.

Even with the recent fall, the crisis continues to claim more than a hundred lives a day in the US. Many victims consume fentanyl unknowingly, after it is mixed into street drugs or pressed into counterfeit prescription pills.

High-profile deaths underscored how indiscriminate the drug had become. Musicians, including Prince and Tom Petty, were found to have fentanyl in their systems. Rapper Mac Miller and actor Angus Cloud also died from overdoses involving the drug.

Several victims believed they were taking prescription medication or recreational drugs. Instead, they ingested fentanyl without knowing it.

With El Mencho dead and key family lieutenants imprisoned, analysts expect short-term disruption as CJNG factions recalibrate. Over the longer term, however, few anticipate structural change. Chemical precursors continue to arrive from Asia, laboratories remain active across Mexico, and demand in the United States persists.

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