Murder of Mexico’s notorious cartel leader El Mencho, María Julissa trapped in social media rumors

By Samira Vishwas On Feb 25, 2026

Mexico’s most notorious cartel leader, Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, better known as El Mencho, was killed in a major military operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco on February 22, 2026. According to officials, El Mencho and his armed companions were hiding in a remote mountain resort.

After the death of El Mencho, violence spread in many states of Mexico. There was also a storm of rumors on social media, linking El Mencho’s alleged girlfriend María Julissa to his arrest and death.

According to Mexico’s Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevila, intelligence agents first tracked down a man linked to El Mencho’s girlfriend, who was brought to Tapalpa before the operation. The woman left the resort, but El Mencho and his armed companions remained hidden there. When the special forces entered the resort, there was firing. Four cartel members were killed there, while three others, including El Mencho, were seriously injured and later died in the hospital.

It’s always woman that kills warlord in the history of most wanted execution list. An intel has exposed El Mencho Onlyfan girlfriend as the person who gave the information on is location. pic.twitter.com/KqKejfW8IY
— Lawrencrisla (@lawrencrisla) February 24, 2026

How many people have died so far in Mexico?

25 National Guard members were killed in the violence that followed El Mencho’s death. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said 30 cartel members were also killed in attacks on security forces.

What about the rumors about María Julissa on social media?

After the incident, rumors spread on social media that El Mencho’s alleged girlfriend María Julissa leaked his location and was responsible for his death. However, the officials have not yet confirmed this.

Julissa wrote on her social media, “Information is being spread claiming that I have a hand in what happened in Mexico. I want to make it clear that all this is completely false! I do not like trouble, do not quarrel with anyone and live peacefully. If you see such posts, please report them.” He further said, “Please help me and get all these pages removed from Facebook, this is completely false.”

What kind of rumor spread?

A picture of El Mencho and María Julissa went viral on social media, which people are considering to be their last picture. However, Mexican officials made it clear that Julissa had no connection to the operation. The objective of the intelligence team was only to disarm El Mencho and his armed group.

social media rumor vs truth

This whole incident shows how quickly rumors can spread on social media platforms like X and Instagram and how the line between truth and lies becomes blurred. Julissa’s statements further make it clear that immediately trusting viral posts can be dangerous.