Violence erupts after Mexican security forces kill drug cartel boss ‘El Mencho’ | Mexico

Mexico’s defense ministry has confirmed that a Mexican cartel boss nicknamed “El Mencho”, one of the world’s most wanted drug traffickers, was killed by security forces. The operation set off a wave of violence in more than half a dozen states, with cars burned and gunmen blocking highways.

His real name is drug lord Nemesio Rubén Oseguera CervantesHe was killed along with at least six accomplices in the western state of Jalisco on Sunday, the ministry said in a statement.

The 59-year-old man was the leader of a gang that has become Mexico’s most powerful and notorious criminal organization in recent years: the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Although less internationally famous than the Sinaloa cartel of the now-imprisoned Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the Jalisco group is a well-known one in Mexico, famous for its displays of extreme violence and large military-style arsenal.

Four cartel members were killed at the scene, while three others, including El Mencho, died on the flight to Mexico City.

Two alleged cartel members were arrested with weapons, including rocket launchers capable of shooting down planes and destroying armored vehicles. images Footage published in El Occidental, a regional newspaper, showed scenes of violent clashes in Tapalpa, located in Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountain range.

The ministry added that three soldiers were injured during the operation and were transferred to the capital for treatment. A Jalisco state official, who wished to remain anonymous, later told The Associated Press that a National Guard member died in Tapalpa during the operation, six other National Guard members died in Zapopan, a prison guard in Puerto Vallarta was killed at a prison after inmates rioted, and an agent from the Jalisco state attorney’s office was killed in Guadalajara. Further details were not immediately available.

The defense department said US officials provided “supplementary information” that contributed to the success of the operation.

El Mencho’s murder caused a sudden outbreak of unrest in the region he ruled and demonstrated his great influence in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. The turmoil forced U.S. and Canadian airlines to cancel dozens of flights. Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to Puerto Vallarta “due to the ongoing security situation” and advised customers not to travel to the airport.

On Sunday, “narco” barricades consisting of burning cars, buses and trucks could be seen on the opposite side. at least eight Mexican states: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Michoacán, Colima, Guerrero, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. Video footage showed huge clouds of smoke rising into the sky above Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist city on Mexico’s west coast known for its stunning Pacific Ocean beaches.

Scenes of chaos occurred in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco, one of the cities that will host the 2026 World Cup. Panicked passengers ran away from the airportHe apparently feared retaliatory attacks from El Mencho’s warriors. Armed men seen burn vehicles in the heart of the city.

​a video A post shared on social media showed a group of heavily armed men setting fire to a gas station in Guadalajara after getting into a white car.

On Sunday night, Guadalajara turned into a ghost town as civilians hid. Schools were closed in many states on Monday.

The US had offered a $15 million (£11 million) reward for the capture of El Mencho, who is accused of smuggling large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine across the southern border. El Mencho’s cartel, which was founded about 16 years ago and became Mexico’s most effective criminal group, was also accused of attempting to assassinate Mexican government officials.

Senior US officials celebrated El Mencho’s killing after Donald Trump’s months-long crackdown on the flow of drugs and immigrants along the 3,145 km border between the two countries. The US president even threatened military action against the cartels he claimed “run Mexico”. Writing about X, deputy foreign minister Christopher Landau called El Mencho “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug lords.” “This is a great development for Mexico, the United States, Latin America and the world,” he shared.

The exact circumstances of El Mencho’s killing, which analysts described as the biggest blow to Mexico’s cartels in more than a decade, remained unclear Sunday. The defense ministry said special forces units from the army and national guard launched an operation to capture the fugitive drug lord in Tapalpa, a town about 80 miles southwest of Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state, with support from the air force and military intelligence. However, while doing so, “military personnel were attacked” and fought back.

The US embassy in Mexico said the operation was carried out by Mexican special forces “within the framework of bilateral cooperation, with US officials providing complementary intelligence.”

The Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel, which specializes in gathering intelligence on drug cartels, played a role in the military raid, a US defense official told Reuters. U.S. officials said the task force was quietly launched late last year to map the networks of drug cartel members on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

As unrest grew, Jalisco state governor Pablo Lemus Navarro urged his 8 million citizens to stay home “until the situation is under control again.” Lemus said public transportation services were suspended and people should not travel on the state’s roads due to “incidents of violence” that spread to at least five regions of the country.

The US embassy in Mexico City also published a security warningIt urges U.S. citizens in the states of Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero, and Nuevo Leon to “shelter in place” in areas affected as a result of “security operations and related road closures and criminal activity.”

The Canadian government said: “Criminal groups set up barricades with burning vehicles in several cities in the state of Jalisco… There were clashes with security forces and explosions… If [there] keep a low profile [and] “Monitor local and international media to stay informed on the rapidly evolving situation.”

Reacting to the attacks after the killing of El Mencho, Landau wrote about X: “I watch the scenes of violence in Mexico with great sadness and concern. It is not surprising that the bad guys respond with terror. But we must never lose courage.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said: “There is absolute coordination with the governments of all states; we must remain informed and calm.

“The security cabinet’s social media accounts provide constant updates. Operations are proceeding normally in most parts of the country.”