Inside the Mexican country villa that became 'El Mencho's' final refuge

The Tapalpa Country Club, a hotel in the area where federal forces conducted a military operation to capture cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera, "El Mencho," who died while being transported in a helicopter after being injured during the raid, outside the town of Tapalpa, Mexico, February 24, 2026. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

TAPALPA, ⁠Mexico, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Feared Mexican cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, or "El Mencho," spent his final hours in a luxury villa ⁠tucked inside the exclusive Tapalpa Country Club, a gated enclave of weekend homes in the hills of ‌Mexico's western state of Jalisco.

The two-storey residence at No. 39 with stone walls and a red-tiled roof served as a discreet hideout for the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), who died on Sunday after a military ambush in the woods behind the home.