El Mencho Buried in Golden Casket Amid Heavy Security in Guadalajara
The leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as El Mencho, was buried on Monday in a shiny golden casket adorned with enormous flower wreaths, under a significant military presence in the state that lends its name to one of Mexico's most powerful criminal organisations.
Funeral Details and Security Concerns
A federal official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorisation, confirmed that the burial took place in a cemetery in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara, which is Mexico's second-largest city. Dozens of individuals accompanied the funeral procession, many carrying black umbrellas on a sunny day, with a band playing Mexican regional music known as banda.
The Attorney General’s Office declined to confirm the exact location of El Mencho’s burial, citing security reasons. Security had been heightened since Sunday around a funeral home where large, anonymous flower wreaths had been arriving; some featured the image of a rooster in flowers, referencing Oseguera Cervantes' nickname, the Lord of the Roosters.
Death and Aftermath
Oseguera Cervantes was killed just over a week ago by the Mexican army during an attempt to capture him. According to a death certificate obtained by The Associated Press, he died from multiple bullet wounds to his chest, abdomen, and legs. Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla described the operation, noting that the cartel leader and two bodyguards were badly wounded in a gunfight with soldiers outside a home in Tapalpa, Jalisco, and died en route to a hospital.
His body was transported to Mexico City for an autopsy before being released to his family on Saturday. The death certificate indicated that burial was standard practice for violent deaths, allowing for potential future forensic evidence collection, though it did not specify the burial site.
Violence and Retaliation
The killing of El Mencho triggered a wave of violence across approximately 20 states, resulting in more than 70 deaths between the military operation and subsequent retaliatory attacks by the cartel. Authorities have expressed ongoing security concerns, with operations continuing against other high-ranking members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Cultural Context of Drug Lord Burials
In Mexico, the burials of drug lords are often shrouded in mystery, a tactic used by supporters to elevate them to legendary status. Within hours of El Mencho's death, ballads known as narcocorridos were already being written about his demise.
This phenomenon is not unique; for example:
- In Culiacan, Sinaloa, there is a cemetery known for luxury crypts for kingpins like Ignacio Coronel and Arturo Beltrán Leyva.
- Nazario Moreno, leader of the Knights Templar cartel, was famously reported killed in 2010 before being confirmed dead in 2014.
- Heriberto Lazcano, leader of the Zetas, had his body stolen in 2012.
- Amado Carrillo Fuentes, known as the Lord of the Skies, died under bizarre circumstances during a botched plastic surgery.
These cases highlight the dramatic and often secretive nature surrounding the deaths and burials of major cartel figures in Mexico.
