Violence linked to cartels in Mexico has resulted in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, alongside 25 members of the Mexican National Guard and over 20 criminal suspects, as reported on Monday.
Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s Security Secretary, mentioned that Oseguera Cervantes was killed during six different attacks following an attempt by troops to apprehend him in a shootout at his residence. He also indicated that around 30 criminal suspects were killed in Jalisco state, with an additional four casualties in Michoacán state.
García Harfuch noted that a prison guard, a state prosecutor’s office employee, and an unidentified woman were among those killed.
Authorities stated that the United States provided intelligence crucial to the military operation that led to Oseguera Cervantes’s downfall, known infamously as “El Mencho.”
Mexican Defense Minister Ricardo Torrevira informed that the intelligence for the military operation stemmed from information given by the cartel leader’s girlfriend.
In the aftermath of Oseguera Cervantes’s death, cartels retaliated violently, creating roadblocks and setting vehicles ablaze throughout Mexico.
President Claudia Sheinbaum appealed for calm on Monday, and law enforcement confirmed that all 250 cartel roadblocks across 20 states had been dismantled.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department advised its citizens in Mexico to shelter in place, particularly those in urban areas.
Oseguera Cervantes was at the helm of one of Mexico’s most significant drug-trafficking organizations, notorious for smuggling fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the U.S., while also menacing government authorities who posed challenges to its operations.
