Street battles have erupted after the military killed a powerful kingpin known as El Mencho
Violent clashes have broken out between cartels and security forces in numerous Mexican cities following the military’s killing of a leading drug lord.
Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense confirmed on Sunday that its special forces killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) known as El Mencho. Cervantes succumbed to injuries sustained during a capture operation in Tapalpa.
In retaliation, the cartel blocked roads and assaulted patrol vehicles. Jalisco’s Governor, Pablo Lemus Navarro, declared a state of emergency as the unrest rapidly extended to the states of Michoacan, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Colima, and Oaxaca.
Atención a la escalada de violencia en México después de que fuerzas federales hayan abatido a “El Mencho” líder del cártel CJNG de Jalisco, el cártel narco más sanguinaria del país.
Están atacando infraestructuras públicas y establecimientos privados.— Julián Macías Tovar (@JulianMaciasT)
Social media videos depict burning vehicles and armed gunmen in the streets. All flight operations at Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara airports have been halted.
Major clashes involving automatic weapons between Mexican security forces and members of the CJNG Cartel in La Desembocada, on the northern outskirts of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender)
Footage from the scene shows injured security personnel, wrecked patrol cars, and bodies on the ground.
Video from inside Guadalajara Airport, the nation’s third-largest, captures people fleeing in panic as distant gunfire is heard.
BREAKING: Guadalajara International Airport thrown into chaos as cartel violence spreads across Jalisco.
Travelers seen fleeing terminals while local reports claim coordinated attacks and possible hostages tied to CJNG activity.
Developing situation
— Clown World ™ 🤡 (@ClownWorld)
Another clip shows armed men wearing body armor arriving at a Guadalajara gas station and setting it on fire.
🚨🇲🇽 The narco group CJNG burned a gas station in Guadalajara, Mexico.
— Adi Baz (@AdiBazi16)
The US Embassy in Mexico has issued a security alert for the country, advising US citizens to take shelter, avoid large gatherings, and exercise caution.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called for calm and urged residents to stay updated. “In the vast majority of the country, activities are proceeding normally,” she posted on X.
A US defense official informed CBS News that the US was involved in the raid targeting El Mencho via a joint anti-cartel task force established by the Mexican military and US Northern Command. The official characterized the mission as “a Mexican military operation.”