- Buildings and vehicles were vandalised across Mexican states after El Mencho's death in an army operation
- CJNG cartel set fires, blocked roads, and opened fire in Guadalajara, leading to school cancellations
- El Mencho died from wounds sustained in the Tapalpa operation; six others were killed or arrested
Buildings and vehicles were vandalised as hundreds of fires dotted the skyline of Mexico's Guadalajara after the army killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes or "El Mencho", the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in an operation Sunday.
Cartels burnt vehicles in nearly a dozen Mexican states and even destroyed roads, a tactic commonly used to block military operations. Smoke billowed over the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta, while the violence quickly spread to the neighboring state of Michoacan, where the CJNG has a presence.
Citizens avoided the outdoors and school was cancelled in Jalsco's capital Guadalajara, as cartel members opened gunfire in public and burnt properties, including petrol pumps, stores, pharmacies and supermarkets. Maria Medina, who works in a gas station that was set on fire, said men with guns showed up and told everyone to get out. "I thought they were going to kidnap us. I ran to a taco stand to take cover with the people there," Medina told AFP.
Visuals also showed passengers taking cover as cartel members entered the Guadalajara airport, while others showed heavy equipment digging up an entire road.
'El Mencho' was wounded in an operation to capture him in Jalisco's Tapalpa on Sunday and died while being flown to Mexico City for treatment. Four people died at the spot and two others were arrested. Armored vehicles, rocket launchers and other arms were seized from the cartel.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged citizens to remain calm and said the central government was in coordination with state authorities. Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus told residents to stay at home, suspended public transportation and said that the state was "living through critical hours."
The US State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. In February, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organisation. It was known for trafficking huge quantities of fentanyl and other drugs to the United States.
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The Jalisco cartel has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks on the military - including on helicopters - and is a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines. In 2020, it carried out a spectacular assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then head of the capital's police force and now federal security secretary.
The DEA considers the cartel to be as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico's most infamous criminal groups, with a presence in all 50 US states. It is one of the main suppliers of cocaine to the U.S. market and, like the Sinaloa cartel, earns billions from the production of fentanyl and methamphetamines. Sinaloa, however, has been weakened by infighting after the loss of its leaders Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, both in US custody.
Photo Credit: Reuters
The raid came amid pressure from US President Donald Trump for Mexico to stem the flow of drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the United States. Trump has threatened repeatedly to slap tariffs on Mexican exports, arguing that Sheinbaum has not done enough to combat the drug trade.
US and Canadian airlines cancelled dozens of flights to Mexico over the violence.
