Chaos erupts as US helps kill Mexico’s most wanted drug lord ‘El Mencho’
A shelter-in-place warning was issued in many areas as violence spread across Mexican states
On Sunday (22 February), Mexico’s most wanted cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes was killed during a security operation to arrest him.
And there was chaos erupting on the streets as supporters of the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) leader butted with the military.
Known as ‘El Mencho’, the drug lord was being taken to the capital Mexico City after being seriously injured in the clash.
The US had given Mexico information that assisted the operation with four members of the cartel killed in the town of Tapalpa and three army personnel also left injured.
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Reports say the violence spilled towards the border with the states as American citizens in the area were issued a shelter-in-place warning. Cars and businesses were set on fire with gunfire reportedly erupting at Guadalajara International Airport.
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, urged people to remain ‘calm’ as violence broke out. She wrote on X that ‘in most parts of the country, activities are proceeding normally’.
The CJNG reportedly attacked security forced in eight states as roadblocks were also built.
Public transport was suspended in Jalisco with residents advised to stay in their homes while United Airlines, Air Canada and American Airlines cancelled flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.
US resident Katy Holloman told the New York Post she was stuck in Puerto Vallarta as she said: “We were told to shelter in place right now, we need to stay in the hotel, it was safer here, but it is not safe to travel to the airport. The road is closed due to the cartel. There’s no flights going out of the airport to the States. We’ve rescheduled them for tomorrow afternoon, really hoping we make it home.
“Just going to pray we make it home tomorrow. This is unprecedented here, the hotel staff have been saying this has never happened before.”
Potentially thousands of tourists are trapped in the hotspot as the violence rolled through.
El Mencho was a 59-year-old former police officer and the US State Department had offered a $15m (£11.1m) reward for information leading to his capture.
His major criminal organisation was responsible for trafficking massive amounts of cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine into the US.
A statement from the Mexican defence ministry said the operation was ‘planned and executed’ by its special forces with America providing information to assist.
Christopher Landau, the former US ambassador to Mexico and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher described the drug lord’s death as a ‘great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world’.
The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, added on X: "President Trump has been very clear — the United States will ensure narcoterrorists sending deadly drugs to our homeland are forced to face the wrath of justice they have long deserved.
"The Trump Administration also commends and thanks the Mexican military for their cooperation and successful execution of this operation."
Jess Battison