Violence has erupted across Mexico following the military killing of drug cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as 'El Mencho'. Schools have been closed, flights cancelled and buses set alight in the backlash. Defence Minister Ricardo Trevilla Trejo offered condolences to the families of soldiers killed in the operation. However, US President Donald Trump posted on social media: 'Mexico must step up their effort on Cartels and Drugs!'
The killing of El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC), has intensified pressure on the Mexican government from Washington. Trump had previously offered a $15m reward for information leading to Oseguera's capture and designated the JNGC as a foreign terrorist organisation. Trump has also offered to send US troops to Mexico, an offer President Claudia Sheinbaum has repeatedly rejected.
The upcoming World Cup, with matches scheduled in Guadalajara – a JNGC stronghold – was a factor in the operation, according to former Mexican security official Eduardo Guerrero. He said the government wanted to demonstrate its capacity to guarantee security. Both Mexican and US officials acknowledged the crucial role of US intelligence in tracking and killing the drug lord.
US officials praised Mexico's efforts. Republican congressman Dan Crenshaw called it 'the beginning of the war against the most violent cartel'. A newly created US military-led taskforce specialising in intelligence on drug cartels was involved in the raid, according to Reuters. Former Mexican ambassador Arturo Sarukhán said the killing would relieve pressure on Mexico, making it harder for Trump to criticise Sheinbaum.
Sarukhán also noted that trade relations are intertwined with security cooperation. Tony Payan, a US-Mexico studies expert, said the US offered both a carrot and a stick: the threat of unilateral action against cartels if Mexico did not act.
