GUADALAJARA, Mexico — College was canceled in a number of Mexican states and native and international governments alike warned their residents to remain inside, as widespread violence erupted following the military’s killing of the highly effective chief of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, generally known as “El Mencho” was the boss of one of many fastest-growing legal networks in Mexico, infamous for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the US and staging brazen assaults in opposition to authorities officers who challenged it.
He was killed throughout a shoot-out in his residence state of Jalisco because the Mexican army tried to seize him. Cartel members responded with violence throughout the nation, blocking roads and setting fireplace to autos.
President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm and authorities introduced late Sunday that they had cleared many of the greater than 250 cartel roadblocks throughout 20 states. The White Home confirmed that the U.S. supplied intelligence assist to the operation to seize the cartel chief and applauded Mexico’s military for taking down a person who was one of the needed criminals in each nations.
Mexico hoped the dying of the world’s largest fentanyl traffickers would ease Trump administration strain to do extra in opposition to the cartels, however many remained hunkered down and on edge as they waited to see the highly effective cartel’s response.
Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state and Mexico’s second-largest metropolis, was virtually utterly shut down on Sunday as fearful residents stayed residence.
Passengers arriving to town’s worldwide airport Sunday night time had been informed it was working with restricted personnel due to the burst of violence.
Jacinta Murcia, a 64-year-old vitamin merchandise vendor, was amongst these nervously strolling late Sunday night time by the airport, the place earlier within the day vacationers sprinted and ducked behind chairs fearing violence. Most flights into town had been suspended on Sunday.
Murcia anxiously scrolled by information tales on social media exhibiting the face of “El Mencho” and despatched messages to her youngsters, who had been monitoring her location as she tried to journey throughout town to her home after darkish.
“My plan at present leaving the airport is to see if there are any taxis, however I’m frightened of every thing. That there are blockades, that there’s a curfew, that one thing might occur,” she mentioned. “I am on their lonesome.”
Authorities in Jalisco, Michoacan and Guanajuato reported not less than 14 different folks killed Sunday, together with seven Nationwide Guard troops.
Movies circulating on social media confirmed vacationers in Puerto Vallarta strolling on the seashore with smoke rising within the distance.
In one other a part of the airport a bunch of aged Mexicans gathered, discussing learn how to get residence.
“We higher all go collectively,” one mentioned. “Go together with God.”
David Mora, Mexico analyst for Worldwide Disaster Group, mentioned the seize and outburst of violence marks a degree of inflection in Sheinbaum’s push to crack down on cartels and relieve U.S. pressures.
U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded Mexico do extra to struggle the smuggling of the often-deadly drug fentanyl, threatening to impose more tariffs or take unilateral military action if the nation doesn’t present outcomes.
There have been early indicators that Mexico’s efforts had been effectively obtained by the US.
U.S. Amb. Ron Johnson acknowledged the success of the Mexican armed forces and their sacrifice in a press release late Sunday. He added that “below the management of President Trump and President Sheinbaum, bilateral cooperation has reached unprecedented ranges.”
However it could additionally pave the way in which for extra violence as rival legal teams make the most of the blow dealt to the CJNG, Mora mentioned.
“This is likely to be a second wherein these different teams see that the cartel is weakened and need to seize the chance for them to broaden management and to realize management over Cartel Jalisco in these states,” he mentioned.
“Ever since President Sheinbaum has been in energy, the military has been far more confrontational, combative in opposition to legal teams in Mexico,” Mora mentioned. “That is signaling to the U.S. that if we preserve cooperating, sharing intelligence, Mexico can do it, we don’t want U.S. troops on Mexican soil.”
Oseguera Cervantes, who was wounded within the operation to seize him Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco, a couple of two-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara, died whereas being flown to Mexico Metropolis, the Protection Division mentioned in a press release.
Throughout the operation, troops got here below fireplace and killed 4 folks on the location. Three extra folks, together with Oseguera Cervantes, had been wounded and later died, the assertion mentioned.
White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned through X that the U.S. authorities supplied intelligence assist for the operation. “‘El Mencho’ was a prime goal for the Mexican and United States authorities as one of many prime traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland,” she wrote. She counseled Mexico’s army for its work.
The U.S. State Division had supplied a reward of as much as $15 million for info resulting in the arrest of El Mencho. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is without doubt one of the strongest and quickest rising legal organizations in Mexico and started working round 2009.
In February 2025, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a international terrorist group.
Sheinbaum has criticized the “kingpin” technique of earlier administrations that took out cartel leaders, solely to set off explosions of violence as cartels fractured. Whereas she has remained widespread in Mexico, safety is a persistent concern and since U.S. President Donald Trump took workplace a 12 months in the past, she has been below super strain to indicate outcomes in opposition to drug trafficking.
The Jalisco cartel has been one of the aggressive cartels in its assaults on the army — together with on helicopters — and is a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines. In 2020, it carried out a spectacular assassination try with grenades and high-powered rifles within the coronary heart of Mexico Metropolis in opposition to the then head of the capital’s police drive and now federal safety secretary.
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Sánchez reported from Mexico Metropolis. Related Press author María Verza contributed to this report.
