Mexican drug lord dies in military raid in state of Jalisco
Emily Green And Lizbeth Diaz
Mexico City: A major Mexican drug lord known as “El Mencho” was killed in a military raid, Mexican officials said Sunday, as the country’s government stepped up pressure on the cartels after threats of U.S. intervention.
Nemesio Oseguera, known as El Mencho, was seriously injured in the clash in the western state of Jalisco and died during an air transfer to Mexico City, Mexico’s Defense Ministry said. The department noted that U.S. officials provided “supplementary information.”
The operation set off a wave of violence, with gunmen blocking highways in more than half a dozen states.
Criminal groups burned cars and trucks to stop traffic in different parts of Jalisco, according to local media to reform And Milenio. Residents of the major regional city of Guadalajara shared videos of armed groups shooting car tires to block intersections, and blockades spread to other states such as Michoacán and Guanajuato.
The U.S. State Department issued a “shelter-in-place” advisory for U.S. citizens in affected areas, including the state of Jalisco, home to Guadalajara, and the tourist hub of Puerto Vallarta. The warning also covers areas in the states of Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero and Nuevo León.
The department recommends that Americans avoid areas around law enforcement activity and crowds, inform family and friends of their location, monitor local updates and seek shelter, and minimize unnecessary movements.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro urged people to stay home until the situation is under control.
While Air Canada announced that it had temporarily suspended its flights to Puerto Vallarta, United Airlines and American Airlines also announced that they had canceled their flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.
shadowy leader
Oseguera, a former police officer, was the shadowy leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), named after the western state and home to Guadalajara, one of Mexico’s largest cities.
In a relatively short time, the CJNG grew into an international criminal organization to rival its former allies in the Sinaloa Cartel, the gang of captured kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is now in a US prison.
The military operation against Oseguera follows the Trump administration’s pressure campaign on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government to step up its crackdown on drug trafficking, including threats of direct U.S. intervention in Mexico.
“The operation to arrest him was led by the Ministry of Defense and he was eventually killed,” a government source familiar with the operation told Reuters.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Oseguera’s killing was a “major development” for the US and Mexico, as well as the rest of Latin America.
The ringleader’s death marks a major victory in Mexico’s war against drug cartels responsible for smuggling billions of dollars of cocaine and fentanyl into the United States
International organized crime expert Vanda Felbab-Brown compared Oseguera to other major drug figures captured in recent years, Guzman and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, both of the rival Sinaloa Cartel.
“Other than the heads of the Sinaloa Cartel, El Mencho has been the biggest prize for many years.”
Reuters, Bloomberg
Take notes directly from our foreign country reporters about things that make headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What’s on in the World Newsletter.
