Mexican security forces have killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, the drug cartel leader known as ‘El Mencho’, the country’s defence ministry has confirmed. His death has triggered widespread disorder across several Mexican states, with burning cars and gunmen blocking highways.
El Mencho, 59, was the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Mexico’s most powerful and notorious criminal organisation. He was killed on Sunday in the western state of Jalisco along with at least six alleged accomplices. Four cartel members died at the scene, while three others, including El Mencho, died while being flown to Mexico City.
The operation also led to the arrest of two alleged cartel members, who were found with weapons including rocket launchers. Three soldiers were injured, and at least nine security personnel were killed across Jalisco in related incidents, including a National Guard member, six other National Guard members, a jail guard, and a state prosecutor’s agent.
The violence prompted US and Canadian airlines to cancel dozens of flights to Mexican tourist destinations, including Puerto Vallarta. ‘Narco’ roadblocks made from burning vehicles were reported in at least eight states: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Michoacán, Colima, Guerrero, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas. Schools were cancelled on Monday in several states.
The US had offered a $15m reward for El Mencho’s capture, and senior US officials celebrated his killing. The US provided ‘complementary information’ that contributed to the operation’s success, according to the Mexican defence ministry.
