From Trump to Leavitt to Johnson: How US officials responded to El Mencho’s killing

A time aft the Mexican Army killed Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) person Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes successful an cognition successful Jalisco, U.S. President Donald Trump called connected Mexico to bash adjacent much to combat transgression organizations.

“Mexico indispensable measurement up their effort connected Cartels and Drugs!” Trump wrote connected societal media, reiterating a connection helium has conveyed connected galore erstwhile occasions.

While the U.S. president didn’t explicitly notation to the cognition that resulted successful the decease of Oseguera, different U.S. authorities officials did. Here is what they said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt 

On societal media, Leavitt wrote — arsenic Mexico’s Defense Ministry noted connected Sunday — that the United States “provided quality enactment to the Mexican authorities successful bid to assistance with an cognition successful Talpalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, successful which Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, an infamous cause lord and person wrong the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was eliminated.”

She noted that “El Mencho” was a “top people for the Mexican and United States authorities arsenic 1 of the apical traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland.”

Indeed, the United States was offering a reward of US $15 cardinal for accusation starring to his arrest.

The United States provided quality enactment to the Mexican authorities successful bid to assistance with an cognition successful Talpalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, successful which Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, an infamous cause lord and person wrong the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was eliminated.… https://t.co/iKxsAMmnLN

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) February 23, 2026

Leavitt besides wrote that “last year, President Trump rightfully designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel arsenic a Foreign Terrorist Organization — due to the fact that that’s precisely what it is.”

“… President Trump has been precise wide — the United States volition guarantee narcoterrorists sending deadly drugs to our homeland are forced to look the wrath of justness they person agelong deserved. The Trump Administration besides commends and acknowledgment the Mexican subject for their practice and palmy execution of this operation,” she wrote.

US Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson

Johnson issued a connection connected Sunday commending the Mexican authorities and its information forces “for their professionalism and resoluteness successful the cognition targeting” Oseguera.

“I explicit my respect and solidarity with the Mexican officials and work members who face these transgression elements each day, often astatine large idiosyncratic risk,” helium wrote.

“This cognition underscores a wide reality: transgression organizations that poison our radical and endanger our nations volition beryllium held responsible.”

Johnson besides said that “bilateral information practice has reached unprecedented levels” nether the enactment of Trump and President Claudia Sheinbaum.

In a societal media station connected Monday, the ambassador said helium “deeply” mourns “the Mexican patriots who made the eventual sacrifice during the caller cognition targeting the CJNG and El Mencho.”

“Their courage, commitment, and work volition not beryllium forgotten connected either broadside of the border,” Johnson wrote.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with their families. Those of america who person worn the azygous recognize the symptom of losing a member oregon sister successful arms, but their sacrifice is ne'er successful vain. Their actions assistance guarantee that our families – and their families – volition unrecorded successful greater bid and security. We articulation our Mexican colleagues and grant them contiguous and always.”

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, a erstwhile U.S. ambassador to Mexico, wrote connected societal media connected Sunday that helium had “just been informed that Mexican information forces person killed ‘El Mencho,’ 1 of the bloodiest and astir ruthless cause kingpins.”

“The bully guys are stronger than the atrocious guys,” helium wrote earlier congratulating Mexican information forces. 

I’ve conscionable been informed that Mexican information forces person killed “El Mencho,” 1 of the bloodiest and astir ruthless cause kingpins. This is simply a large improvement for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. The bully guys are stronger than the atrocious guys./Los buenos somos más que…

— Christopher Landau (@DeputySecState) February 22, 2026

“PS, I’m watching the scenes of unit from Mexico with large sadness and concern. It’s not astonishing that the atrocious guys are responding with terror. But we indispensable ne'er suffer our nerve. ¡Ánimo México! [Come connected Mexico!],” Landau wrote. 

Sheinbaum: Mexico maintaining mean connection with US

Asked astatine her Monday greeting property league whether the Mexican authorities has been successful interaction with the U.S. authorities since the execution of the cognition against “El Mencho,” Sheinbaum responded that mean connection betwixt the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. State Department, and the Mexican equipped forces and their U.S. counterparts, is continuing.

“But there’s thing successful peculiar [to study on],” she said.

Sheinbaum subsequently reiterated that the information narration betwixt Mexico and the United States is based connected 4 principles, including “respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity” and “cooperation without subordination.”

She stressed that the United States didn’t enactment successful the cognition against “El Mencho” connected Sunday.

Sheinbaum often says that her authorities volition ne'er judge immoderate benignant of usurpation of Mexico’s sovereignty by the U.S. government. After Trump said earlier this twelvemonth that the U.S. would onslaught Mexican cartels connected land, Sheinbaum arranged a telephone with the U.S. president and subsequently said U.S. subject enactment successful Mexico could beryllium ruled out.

Last year, she declined an connection from Trump to nonstop the U.S. service into Mexico to combat cause cartels.

Last May, Sheinbaum said she told Trump: “We tin collaborate, we tin enactment together, but you successful your territory and america successful ours. We tin stock information, but we’re ne'er going to judge the beingness of the United States Army successful our territory.”

Mexico News Daily