Mexican drug lord ‘El Mencho’ buried in golden coffin

Infamous Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho”, has been buried in a gold-coloured coffin during a heavily guarded funeral in western Mexico.

The 59-year-old founder of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) died after being wounded in a firefight between his bodyguards and Mexican special forces deployed to capture him in late February.

Long regarded as Mexico’s most-wanted man, Oseguera was also the subject of a $15m reward offered by the US Department of State for information leading to his arrest.

His death sparked a wave of retaliatory violence across at least 20 Mexican states, with cartel members reportedly setting vehicles ablaze and blockading major roads.

The funeral took place near Guadalajara in Jalisco, a longstanding stronghold of the CJNG. Members of Mexico’s National Guard were deployed in force to deter further unrest during the ceremony.

Large floral arrangements were delivered ahead of the service, including a tribute shaped like a rooster — a nod to Oseguera’s reported passion for cockfighting.

The procession featured a live band playing ranchero music and narcocorridos, a genre known for songs that glorify drug traffickers. Local media reported that the traditional song El Muchacho Alegre was performed as the coffin arrived at a chapel within the cemetery grounds.

After a ceremony lasting about an hour, mourners — many wearing face masks to conceal their identities — followed the casket to the graveside.