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After spending years evading authorities worldwide, apowerful Mexican cartel leaderwas killed during a military operation, Mexican officials announced on Sunday, Feb. 22.

Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, commonly known as "El Mencho," rose through the ranks and launched a deadly coup to become the leader of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The criminal enterprise rapidly grew into a continent-spanning empire that rivaled its former allies in the Sinaloa Cartel, run by kingpinJoaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who is serving life in prison.

In 2024, the U.S. Department of State offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Oseguera's arrest and/or conviction. After reports of his death surfaced, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau described "El Mencho" in asocial media postas "one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins."

Here's what to know about the Mexican drug lord:

What was his real name?

He was bornRubén Oseguera Cervanteson July 17, 1966, in the small farming city of Aguililla in the western state of Michoacán, according toThe Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. He later adopted the name Nemesio, some say to honor his godfather. It was shortened to "El Mencho" and has no other known meaning.

Why was 'El Mencho' so dangerous?

A powerful drug kingpin with 5,000 members spread across every continent except Antarctica, Oseguera's brutal cartel is blamed for kidnappings, torture, murders, cannibalism, and the spread of fentanyl — which surpassed heroin as America's deadliest illicit drug.

"More recently, CJNG operatives, allegedly under Oseguera Cervantes' direction, were involved in assassination attempts of Mexican government officials," the State Department said in December 2024.

Targeting 'The Last Frontier':Mexican cartels send drugs into Alaska, upping death toll

How did 'El Mencho' rise to power?

Unlike some cartel leaders who inherited leadership positions from family dynasties, his parents were farm workers who carved out a living in Aguililla, a city of fewer than 20,000 people in Michoacán, known as the world's avocado capital. Oseguera dropped out of school after the sixth grade to pick avocados.

"El Mencho" eventually made his way to Tijuana, the prominent border town for American tourists and feuding Mexican cartels. There, he grew his drug-smuggling business in San Diego. Court and prison records show he has entered the United States at least three times and was repeatedly deported.

After being ordered to leave the area by another organization, "El Mencho" joined the police force in Tomatlán, a small city south of Puerto Vallarta in the western state of Jalisco.

Eventually, Oseguera returned to his native Michoacán, where he joined the Milenio Cartel, an entrenched criminal organization operating since at least the early 1990s. Milenio eventually tapped "El Mencho," a skilledsicario— or assassin — to lead one of its cells in Guadalajara as a cartel lieutenant.

As Oseguera rose through the ranks of Milenio, he expected to be rewarded with the top position. But when some of the cartel's leaders were arrested or killed in 2008 and 2009, "El Mencho" wasn't promoted.

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Incensed, Oseguera plotted revenge in 2009 and 2010 with others who were unhappy with Milenio's new leadership and spearheaded a deadly coup. He emerged victorious in early 2011, and his new cartel was christened the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación.

What did 'El Mencho' control?

Oseguera controlled several key drug trafficking routes and hubs in Mexico and gave orders to the "capo," or plaza boss, similar to a mafia lieutenant.

His cartel dominates much of Guadalajara and controls the outskirts of Jalisco, as well as other states such as Colima and Michoacán. CJNG has spread to most of Mexico's 32 states, with an increasing presence in Tijuana and Mexico City.

As the boss, "El Mencho" set thepiso, or tax, that business owners and independent drug traffickers had to pay the capos for protection. Oseguera also assumed control of corrupt police officers and politicians.

"El Mencho's Jalisco New Generation Cartel was one of the biggest buyers of politicians and political campaigns, which has given it an enormous social base," Edgardo Buscaglia, an organized crime expert at Columbia University, toldReuters.

What was 'El Mencho' charged with in the United States?

Oseguera was the lead defendant in a federal indictment returned in the District of Columbia in 2017, accusing him of leading a continuing criminal enterprise. He was also charged with conspiring to send large amounts of drugs into the United States and using firearms during these drug trafficking crimes.

Oseguera also faced meth trafficking charges from a 2013 federal indictment in Gulfport, Mississippi.

'That level of violence is terrifying':Mexican cartel targets tranquil Puget Sound city

How did 'El Mencho' avoid capture for so long?

Despite a $15 million bounty, Oseguera stayed on the move for years and dodged manhunts that began within a year of his rise to power in 2011. He was rarely seen, staying in remote compounds that made it harder for police to breach, and didn't do drugs or drink alcohol to avoid slip-ups, the Courier Journal reported in 2019.

U.S. drug agents and Mexican authorities teamed to root out El Mencho's hiding spots at least three times. Police raided his secret compounds in 2012 and 2018, but he escaped, the newspaper reported.

According to the Courier Journal, the Mexican military also learned Oseguera's hiding spot and headed to get him in two military helicopters in May 2015. But his menshot down one of the helicopterswith a Russian-made rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'El Mencho' killed in Jalisco, Mexico. Who was the cartel leader?

By Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Iran has indicated it is prepared to make concessions on its nuclear programme in talks with the U.S. in return for the lifting of sanctions and recognition of its right to enrich uranium, as it seeks to avert a U.S. attack.

Both sides remain sharply divided -- even over the scope and sequencing of relief from crippling U.S. sanctions -- following ‌two rounds of talks, a senior Iranian official told Reuters.

However, Reuters is reporting for the first time that Iran is offering fresh concessions since their talks ended last week, when the sides appeared far ‌apart and heading closer to military conflict. Analysts say the move suggests Tehran is trying to keep diplomacy alive and stave off a major U.S. strike.

The official said Tehran would seriously consider a combination of sending half of its most highly enriched uranium abroad, diluting the rest ​and taking part in creating a regional enrichment consortium - an idea periodically raised in years of Iran-linked diplomacy.

Iran would do this in return for U.S. recognition of Iran's right to "peaceful nuclear enrichment" under a deal that would also include lifting economic sanctions, the official said.

In addition, Iran has offered openings for U.S. companies to participate as contractors in Iran's large oil and gas industries, the official said, in negotiations to resolve decades of dispute over Tehran's nuclear activities.

"Within the economic package under negotiation, the United States has also been offered opportunities for serious investment and tangible economic interests in Iran's oil industry," the official said.

The White House did not respond immediately to queries on the issue.

Washington views enrichment inside Iran as a potential ‌pathway to nuclear weapons. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and wants its right to ⁠enrich uranium to be recognised.

Iran and the United States resumed negotiations earlier this month as the U.S. builds up its military capability in the Middle East. Iran has threatened to strike U.S. bases in the region if it is attacked.

The Iranian official said the most recent discussions underscored the gap between the two sides, but stressed that "the possibility of reaching ⁠an interim agreement exists" as negotiations continue.

IRAN SEEKS 'LOGICAL TIMETABLE' FOR LIFTING SANCTIONS

"The last round of talks showed that U.S. ideas regarding the scope and mechanism of sanctions relief differ from Iran's demands. Both sides need to reach a logical timetable for lifting sanctions," the official said.

"This roadmap must be reasonable and based on mutual interests."

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday he expects to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff in Geneva on Thursday, adding there is still "a good chance" of ​a ​diplomatic solution.

Araqchi said on Friday that he expected to have a draft counterproposal ready within days, while Trump said he was considering ​limited military strikes.

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Citing officials on both sides and diplomats across the Gulf and Europe, ‌Reuters reported on Friday that Tehran and Washington are sliding rapidly towards military conflict as hopes fade for a diplomatic settlement.

On Sunday, Witkoff said the president was curious as to why Iran has not yet "capitulated" and agreed to curb its nuclear programme.

"Why, under this pressure, with the amount of seapower and naval power over there, why haven't they come to us and said, 'We profess we don't want a weapon, so here's what we're prepared to do'? And yet it's sort of hard to get them to that place," Witkoff said on Fox News.

READINESS TO COMPROMISE ON NUCLEAR WORK

Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Iran's leadership is seeking to buy time via the talks.

"Iran will use that time for various reasons, including to avoid a strike and to harden nuclear, missile, and military facilities," he said.

While rejecting a U.S. demand for "zero enrichment" - a major sticking point in ‌past negotiations - Tehran has signalled its readiness to compromise on its nuclear work.

Washington has also demanded that Iran relinquish its stockpile ​of highly enriched uranium (HEU). The International Atomic Energy Agency last year estimated that stockpile at more than 440 kg of uranium enriched to ​up to 60% fissile purity, a small step away from the 90% that is considered weapons grade.

Ali Larijani, ​a close adviser to Iran's supreme leader, told Al Jazeera TV that Iran was ready to allow extensive IAEA monitoring to prove it is not seeking nuclear weapons.

The agency has ‌been calling on Iran for months to allow for inspection of three nuclear sites that ​were struck by the U.S. in June last year at ​the close of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign. Since then, Tehran has said its uranium enrichment work has stopped.

Satellite images show that Iran has advanced work at a location reportedly bombed by Israel last year, recently building a concrete shield over a new facility at a sensitive military site and covering it in soil, experts say.

BENEFITS FOR BOTH SIDES

Among U.S. demands are restrictions on Tehran's long-range ballistic missiles and an end ​to its support for regional proxy groups.

Iran has flatly rejected discussing its missiles, while ‌sources have told Reuters, without elaborating, that "the issue of regional proxies is not a red line for Tehran".

Iranian authorities have said that a diplomatic solution would provide economic benefits for both Tehran ​and Washington.

The Iranian official said Tehran would not hand over control of its oil and mineral resources.

"Ultimately, the U.S. can be an economic partner for Iran, nothing more. American companies can always participate ​as contractors in Iran's oil and gas fields."

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by Alex Richardson, Ros Russell, William Maclean)

Details are emerging about the armed man who allegedly breached a secure perimeter at PresidentDonald Trump's Mar-a-Lago property before being fatally shot by law enforcement officials on Sunday, Feb. 22.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office identified the man as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, from North Carolina. Martin was reported missing within the last few days, Reuters reported.

Martin was allegedly seen near the property's north gate at about 1:30 a.m. and was stopped by a Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy and two Secret Service agents. The president was in Washington during the incident and not at his Florida club.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw alleged that Martin was carrying a shotgun and a fuel can, and the officials ordered him to drop the items. Martin put the gas can down, but the sheriff said he "raised the shotgun to a shooting position" and authorities fired their weapons at him in response.

As more information is released, here's what we know about Martin.

Have officials identified the man?

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office confirmed Martin was killed on Feb. 22. Before confirming his identity, authorities described him as a White male in his early 20s.

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Bradshaw told reporters that law enforcement officials were not aware of Martin before the incident.

The sheriff also said he couldn't confirm how many shots were fired because the case is still under active investigation, with the FBI taking lead. No law enforcement officials were injured in the shooting, but Martin was pronounced dead at the scene.

What else have authorities said?

Authorities asked people who live in the area to look at any security footage they may have from around their homes and report anything suspicious to the FBI or local officials.

Trump has not addressed the incident publicly. In aposton social media, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Secret Service "acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person."

She also slammed Democrats for the ongoingpartial government shutdown,during which the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, has faced a lapse in funding.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Mar-a-Lago shooting. What we know about Austin Tucker Martin

Jack Hughes said he was "proud to be American" as he talked about his Olympic gold-winning goal, and his impending dental work

NEED TO KNOW

• Hughes sealed Team USA's win over Canada in men's hockey at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games

• The U.S. players said they received a call from President Donald Trump after the game to congratulate them on the win

Jack Hugheswas feeling "proud" to be an American — and ready to get back to the U.S. for some dental work — after scoring the Olympic gold-winning goal.

Moments after Hughes, 24,sealed Team USA's win over rival Canadaat the2026 Winter Olympicson Sunday, Feb. 22 with his overtime goal, which came 20 minutes after he had several teeth knocked out mid-game, the NHL star was filled with enthusiasm for his country and his teammates.

"This is all about our country right now. I love the U.S.A. I love my teammates, it's unbelievable," Hughes told NBC. "The USA Hockey brotherhood, it's so strong. We had so much support from ex-players, and I'm so proud to be American today."

Peter Kneffel/picture alliance via Getty

The New Jersey Devils star also shouted out U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who stopped 41 out of 42 shots during the game.

"It's an unbelievable game by Hellebuyck. He was our best player tonight by a mile, unbelievable game, unreal game by our team," he said. "Just a ballsy, gutsy win. That's American hockey right there. That's a great Canadian team, but we're USA, we're so proud to be Americans. This night was all for our country."

Hughes continued with the USA love, and love for its dentists, while talking to reporters, including PEOPLE, in the mixed zone after the medal ceremony.

"I'm lucky I'm from the best country in the world, and we've got great dentists there too," he said, with a toothless smile. "So I'm lucky I'm American and they're going to fix me right up."

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Team USA, who were seenpartyingwithFBI Director Kash Patelin the locker room after the game, received a celebratory call from President Donald Trump, they told reporters.

"The players just had the president on, I don't know what it was, what do you call it? FaceTime? Whatever. In the locker room," Head Coach Mike Sullivan said during their post-game press conference. "So he just spoke to the group, expressing how proud he was of the group and congratulating everybody on the win. Obviously this game, in a lot of ways, was an inspiration to our country."

Team USA captainAuston Matthewswas also asked about the conversation with Trump and what it meant to them.

"We're all proud Americans, obviously, and I mean, this is a huge moment for us. It's a huge moment for the United States," Matthews, 28, said. "He called and just congratulated us."

"It's an honor to wear this jersey and to represent the USA and go home with the gold medal," he added. "You know how much that means to the guys in this room and how much it means to all the people watching and rooting us on, too."

To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come topeople.comto check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.

Read the original article onPeople

Content warning:This story contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide and needs support now, call or text 988 or chat with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at988lifeline.org.

Thedeath of Rondale Moore, a talented wide receiver whose pro and college careers were marred by injuries, sent a tragic jolt through the NFL on Saturday.

The news came after two straight missed seasons for Moore, who sustained season-ending knee injuries during the preseason in 2024 and 2025. His talent had never been in doubt since his All-American season at Purdue as a freshman in 2018, but luck was never on his side.

New Albany police chief Todd Bailey told reporters Saturday night thatMoore was found in a garage with a gunshot wound suspected to be self-inflicted.

What soon became clear is that Moore was beloved and respected by his NFL peers, all of whom knew what he was capable of when healthy. He had friends throughout the league, and one of them, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown, was hit particularly hard.

The two played together for two seasons on the Arizona Cardinals, and Brown posted on social media that he had received messages from Moore just hours earlier. He later posted a screenshot of an encouraging message he sent Moore last August, a couple of days after Moore's injury.

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Both Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. alluded to recent conversations with Moore, as well.

The NFL Players Association, for which Moore served as a player rep,posted a statement urging its members to reach out for support if they're struggling with mental health and to check on their teammates:

"In moments like this, we are reminded of how much our players carry, on and off the field. To our members: Please know that support is always within reach. Check on your teammates and prioritize your mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling, we encourage you to take advantage of the many confidential resources and services available to you through the NFLPA."

Many other players concurred, telling their followers to check in on their loved ones.

Carolina Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson also came forward with his own experience going to therapy.

Las Vegas Raiders safety Jamal Adams had his own take, questioning the treatment of "injury prone" players such as Moore and reminding his followers how arduous the recovery process can be, both mentally and physically.

Above all, the reaction is a reminder that athletes are humans at their core. No one feels the pain of an injury as much as they do, but that doesn't stop the torrent of vitriol that can be aimed at them on social media for the crime of not being able to do their jobs. It seems to be a league-wide frustration — one that spans the sports industry, really — and the players can only hope they're listened to in the aftermath of Moore's death.

Team USA's 2-1 overtime victory over Canadahelped the country win its first Olympic gold in men's hockey since the famed 1980 "Miracle on Ice."

Team USA center Jack Hughes scored the team's overtime goal, exchanging his knocked-out tooth for a gold medal. Team USA goalie Connor Hellebuyck saved 41 of the 42 shots he faced.

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Olympic gold medalists Lindsey Vonn, Apolo Ohno and Mikaela Shiffrin expressed their support for Team USA's hockey team on social media.

Super Bowl champions Tom Brady,Jason Kelceand Kurt Warner, and current NFL players George Kittle and J.J. McCarthy were also watching the game.

Phoenix Suns Devin Booker got up early to tune in as welll, while Indiana Pacers Tyreese Haliburton shouted out Hellebuyck's performance.

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A Colombian congresswoman whose conservative party is closely aligned with the right-wing ideologies of US President Donald Trump says her son was detained last month by ICE agents amid the US crackdown on immigration.

Ángela Vergara says she decided to go public with the case last week in part because her son has not yet been allowed to return to Colombia despite having requested voluntary departure, but also to raise awareness about the harsh conditions Colombian immigrants are facing in the US.

The case has sparked a debate online, with critics questioning why Vergara, a member of a party that often backs Trump, came out in defense of immigrants only after her son's detention.

Vergara has pushed back against the criticism, insisting that she has never supported immigration policies that she says violate human rights.

"This isn't a political issue; it's really a human rights issue," she told CNN. "Being a conservative politician doesn't mean I agree with human rights violations in Colombia or anywhere else in the world."

ICE detention

Vergara says her son Rafael, 23, has been locked up for more than 20 days at the River Correctional Detention Center in Louisiana, in what she describes as "inhumane conditions." She says he is being held along with a number of Colombians waiting for a repatriation flight home.

"He told me that he was with 70 people in a cell, that they had gone 12 hours the day before without drinking water, (and) everyone was sick," Vergara recounted to CNN.

The congresswoman said Rafael had been detained by ICE agents after a routine inspection while driving a commercial cargo truck in Louisiana.

She insists Rafael has been living in the US legally with a work permit and paying into social security. She says he applied for asylum a year after arriving in 2022 and was awaiting an asylum hearing scheduled for 2028.

CNN has reached out to the US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, for more information.

After learning of her son's arrest, Vergara said the family requested his voluntary return to Colombia, thinking it would be the quickest way to resolve the matter. But more than 20 days after his arrest, she says her son remains in detention.

She attributes the delay to a "bottleneck" in the repatriation process that has left thousands of Colombians stranded in the US waiting for a limited number of flights.

Colombia signed an agreement earlier this month to resume repatriation flights from the US. Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio said that approximately one flight per week would be carried out over the next few months.

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Vergara says she has asked the Colombian government to expedite transfers and increase the frequency of humanitarian flights.

Controversy over ideology

Vergara's Conservative Party maintains many positions that are more aligned with the American right than with Colombia's left-wing government led by President Gustavo Petro and has often expressed support for the Republican Party in the US.

In 2024, the Colombian Conservatives "celebrated" the electoral victories of Trump and his fellow Republicans in the House and Senate.

Last year, when the Trump administration decertified Colombia as a partner in the fight against drug trafficking, the partycondemned,not Trump, but Colombia's president for criticizing the US leader. It issued a statement pledging to support the US drug fighting measures.

In September, after the killing of prominent US conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Vergaraexpressed condolencesand support for the activist, saying, "His departure represents a loss for those of us who firmly defend life, family, and freedom."

Still, despite sharing some views with the American right, Vergara insists she doesn't support inhumane immigration policies.

"I have always demanded due process and humane treatment for Colombians, both inside and outside the country," she recently wrote on X.

Vergara says her conversative leanings have caused people to make false assumptions about her.

This week, she denied being a member of the group "Latinas for Trump," as many people online have alleged. She also denied that she celebrated the deportations of Latinos or called for a US invasion of Colombia.

On Tuesday, social media users and some news outlets shared a video of a woman dancing in a MAGA hat, whom they incorrectly identified as Vergara.

The video was also shared by Petro, who later took down his post after Vergara denied it was her in it.

In his post, Petro had also addressed the detention of Vergara's son and asked the Colombian Embassy in Washington to provide him with consular assistance: "No matter the paradox, the Colombian embassy in the US must help … this Colombian congresswoman to recover her son."

CNN has reached out to the Colombian presidency for comment on the matter.

Vergara told CNN she thought it was positive that Petro addressed the issue but insisted that he needs to respond to her request for humanitarian flights.

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