The Mencho Files: Payrolls, Betrayal, and the Future of the CJNG

In this episode, we dive deep into the unraveling mystery surrounding Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, the elusive leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Using reports from Mexican, U.S., and international sources, we examine the cartel’s internal “narco-nómina” payroll system—revealing what CJNG paid its halcones, gunmen, and commanders—and how that money fueled one of the most powerful criminal empires in the world. But new claims and intelligence leaks suggest something bigger may be happening: rumors of betrayal inside the cartel, conflicting reports about Mencho’s fate, and a growing battle over who will control the organization next. From suspicious activity linked to his family in California to potential successors emerging from within CJNG’s ranks, we break down the evidence, the rumors, and what it could mean for the future of Mexico’s most violent cartel.