{"id":13225,"date":"2026-02-23T23:11:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T23:11:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=13225"},"modified":"2026-02-23T23:11:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T23:11:51","slug":"what-we-know-about-mexican-drug-cartel-leaders-still-at-large-drugs-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=13225","title":{"rendered":"What we know about Mexican drug cartel leaders still at large | Drugs News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"article__subhead\"><em>While Mexico\u2019s government hails the killing of drug kingpin El Mencho, other powerful cartel leaders continue to evade capture.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><button class=\"article-listen-container\" aria-labelledby=\"listen-text listen-duration\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-button\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-listen-container__text\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-text\">Listen to this article<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"article-listen-container__duration\">4 mins<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/button><button tabindex=\"0\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><svg class=\"icon icon--info icon--main-grey-dark icon--16 listen-to-article-tooltip__icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\"><title>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Mexico\u2019s most influential cartel boss, who was among the most sought-after fugitives in the United States, has been killed, according to the Mexican Secretariat of National Defence.<\/p>\n<p>Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of Mexico\u2019s Jalisco New Generation Cartel, also known as \u201cEl Mencho\u201d, was killed on Sunday during an operation to arrest him in the western state of Jalisco.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 3 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum hailed the country\u2019s security forces for the operation while appealing for calm.<\/p>\n<p>In the aftermath of Oseguera\u2019s death, armed cartel members launched attacks across the country with gunmen blocking highways and torching cars.<\/p>\n<p>Here is a brief list of Mexican cartel leaders who remain at large:<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"ismael-zambada-sicairos-el-mayito-flaco\">Ismael Zambada Sicairos (\u2018El Mayito Flaco\u2019)<\/h2>\n<p>Zambada Sicairos is a leader within the Sinaloa Cartel\u2019s La Mayiza faction and son of longtime trafficker Ismael \u201cEl Mayo\u201d Zambada.<\/p>\n<p>Since his father\u2019s arrest in 2024, Zambada Sicairos has emerged as one of the cartel\u2019s key figures in controlling drug distribution and narcotics networks that supply the US.<\/p>\n<p>Zambada Sicairos has at least three brothers who are also involved in the drug trade, according to Spanish media.<\/p>\n<p>El Pais newspaper reported all of the brothers are known for keeping a low profile and they rose through the ranks after starting out as small-time drug peddlers, moving up based on \u201cmerit\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4331769\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4331769\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4331769\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IZS-1-1771839322.jpg?w=770&amp;resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Ismael Zambada Sicairos\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4331769\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ismael Zambada Sicairos, also known as \u2018El Mayito Flaco\u2019 [Handout\/US Drug Enforcement Administration]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"ivan-archivaldo-guzman-salazar-el-chapito\">Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar (\u2018El Chapito\u2019)<\/h2>\n<p>A senior leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman Salazar is the son of one of the world\u2019s most well-known cartel leaders, Joaquin \u201cEl Chapo\u201d Guzman. He has risen to colead the cartel alongside other family members since his father\u2019s arrest in 2016.<\/p>\n<p>According to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Guzman Salazar led the violent response to his half-brother Ovidio Guzman Lopez\u2018s arrest in 2019, engaging Mexican authorities in \u201cgun battles\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Guzman Salazar and his family are believed to be in a leadership battle with the Zambada Sicairos faction since 2024, which has led to the deaths of nearly 2,000 people, according to El Pais.<\/p>\n<p>US and Mexican authorities are seeking his arrest on drug trafficking and organised crime charges, and he is believed to be directing drug operations, including fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine shipments to the US.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"fausto-isidro-meza-flores-el-chapo-isidro\">Fausto Isidro Meza Flores (\u2018El Chapo Isidro\u2019)<\/h2>\n<p>Meza Flores was added to the FBI\u2019s 10 most wanted fugitives list this month for his alleged role as head of the Meza Flores cartel in Sinaloa.<\/p>\n<p>According to El Pais, authorities arrested him on at least four occasions on a range of charges, but none led to him being imprisoned.<\/p>\n<p>Meza Flores has been accused of trafficking large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and other drugs into the US and Mexico. He has also been accused of kidnapping, extortion, torture and murder tied to cartel-related activities.<\/p>\n<p>US authorities are offering up to $5m for information leading to his arrest.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4331771\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4331771\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4331771\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chapo-Isidro-1-1771839327.jpg?w=770&amp;resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Fausto Isidro Meza Flores\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4331771\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fausto Isidro Meza Flores (El Chapo Isidro) [US Department of State]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"juan-reyes-mejia-gonzalez-r-1-or-kiki\">Juan Reyes Mejia-Gonzalez (\u2018R-1\u2019 or \u2018Kiki\u2019)<\/h2>\n<p>A longtime senior member of the Gulf Cartel, specifically of the Los Rojos faction, Mejia-Gonzalez has a $15m reward on his head by the US Department of State.<\/p>\n<p>According to the State Department, he is wanted for his role in coordinating international cocaine trafficking, facilitating shipments from South and Central America through Mexico into the US.<\/p>\n<p>Mejia-Gonzalez\u2019s criminal career goes back to 2006 when he allegedly distributed \u201cmore than 2 tonnes of cocaine in Dallas\u201d, according to Argentinian news outlet InfoBae.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities alleged he has been involved in other numerous illegal activities, including money laundering and violent disputes with rival cartel factions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While Mexico\u2019s government hails the killing of drug kingpin El Mencho, other powerful cartel leaders continue to evade capture. Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a04 mins info Mexico\u2019s most influential cartel boss, who was among the most sought-after fugitives in the United States, has been killed, according to the Mexican Secretariat of National Defence. Nemesio Ruben Oseguera [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latin-america-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13225\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}