TAPALPA, Mexico, Feb 24 - Mexican security officials say Nemesio Oseguera, widely known as El Mencho and identified as the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), spent his final hours inside a two-storey luxury villa within the gated Tapalpa Country Club. The property, at No. 39, features stone walls and a red-tiled roof and is part of a cluster of weekend homes in the hills of Jalisco's Tapalpa municipality.
Photographs reviewed by reporters show interior spaces finished in a contemporary style with broad windows overlooking well-kept lawns. The rooms contain a mix of everyday items, medical supplies and religious objects. Investigators reported finding an assortment of common painkillers and other medicines, alongside personal care items such as skincare products and a face roller. Several containers of baby wipes were observed in a lower drawer of a large bedroom wardrobe that held a few neatly folded garments.
Kitchen scenes indicated a lived-in and untidy setting. Takeout containers were left on the counter next to a container of spoiled strawberries, a bottle of hot sauce, milk cartons and water bottles. A carton each of potatoes and tomatoes was on the floor. On a dining room table agents found a small box wrapped with a bright red bow.
Medical supplies were located across multiple cabinets. Items included treatments for migraines, insomnia, acid reflux and fungal infections. Investigators also noted vials of Tationil Plus, an antioxidant marketed for cellular protection, stored in a freezer together with a dosage schedule. A cloth bearing the logo of Mayorquin, a high-end jewelry boutique in Guadalajara, was among personal effects.
Religious items were assembled on a makeshift altar in the villa. Figurines of Catholic saints included the Virgin of Guadalupe and Saint Jude Thaddeus, patron of lost causes. A sheet of paper with a handwritten Bible passage emphasizing trust in God was also present.
Authorities say they were led to the gated community after receiving a tip tied to Oseguera's lover. According to official accounts, Oseguera attempted to escape from the residence through its back garden and into the adjacent wooded hillside. He was struck by gunfire during the pursuit and died of his injuries while being transported by air, Mexican authorities said.
Exterior observations at the scene reflected the intensity of the security operation. Burned-out cars and trucks were reported on some roads around the compound following what officials described as a siege-like raid by the military on Sunday.
Tapalpa is known locally for ecotourism, pine forests and vacation homes clustered near a golf course and a lake. Reporters observed a gardener tending plants near the community entrance, and plantations of agave plants used in tequila production were visible in the distance.
The area has drawn scrutiny in the past. Authorities and foreign regulators previously took action a decade ago when the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on several businesses in the region, alleging those entities were used to launder money for the CJNG and its financial arm, Los Cuinis.
The combination of a luxury residential setting, everyday personal effects, concentrated medical supplies and religious iconography paints a picture of how the villa functioned as a temporary refuge prior to the military operation that ended in Oseguera's death. Official statements attribute the operation's outcome to the military pursuit that began after the tip that identified the residence.