Mexican Government to Auction Land Where Cartel Leader Died

The Mexican government has announced the auction of a plot of land inside the Tapalpa Country Club where drug kingpin Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho," died during a clash with the army in February. Authorities have not disclosed who owned the land before it was seized and do not directly link the property to Oseguera, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

The parcel sits in the exact area where the cartel leader was killed on Feb. 22. The land has a starting price of about $750,000 and is among 211 properties authorities are set to auction on Thursday.

U.S. intelligence information. The operation ended when special forces found Oseguera "hidden in the undergrowth" in his home state of Jalisco. A crucifix, religious candles and a handwritten psalm were found in the home after the operation, The Associated Press reported. Mexican authorities said they tracked one of his romantic partners to the hideout.

Mencho's death triggered retaliation by his cartel, which carried out roadblocks and set fire to vehicles across two-thirds of the country. Dozens of people were killed in the wave of violence, including 25 members of Mexico's National Guard. In 2025, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel was one of several cartels designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the Trump administration.

In March, Oseguera was buried in a golden casket with enormous flower wreaths and a large military presence in a cemetery in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara. Last month, the cartel suffered another blow when one of its top leaders, Audias Flores Silva, also known as "El Jardinero," was captured while hiding in a roadside ditch in the northwest of the country.