At least 25 members of Mexico’s National Guard have died during a wave of violence in the state of Jalisco after the killing of a drug lord, the country’s security minister has said
Unrest has erupted in at least 20 states since Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes – better known as “El Mencho” – died in custody on Sunday shortly after being captured by Mexican special forces.
Mexico has sent 2,500 soldiers to the west of the country to bolster security, Defence Secretary Ricardo Trevilla said on Monday.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is one of the most feared criminal organisations in Mexico and its leader was Mexico’s most wanted man before his death on Sunday.El Mencho was captured on Sunday after forces tracked down a romantic partner he was meeting, according to Mexico’s defence secretary.
He was seriously injured in a firefight between his bodyguards and the military commandos deployed to capture him.
El Mencho died while the military was transporting him from the town of Tapalpa, in Jalisco state, to the capital, Mexico City.
At least six of El Mencho’s security guards were also killed in the operation, while three members of the Mexican military were injured, the defence ministry said.
Security secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said a prison guard, a member of the state prosecutor’s office and 30 members of El Mencho’s criminal organisation were killed in the unrest since his death, according to the AFP news agency.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has praised the army’s operation that led to El Mencho’s death and said her priority is to guarantee peace and security across the country.
“There is calm, there is government, there are armed forces and there is a lot of co-ordination,” Sheinbaum said.
As news of El Mencho’s death spread, members of his cartel launched attacks in many towns and cities where the CJGN is active.
At least 25 members of Mexico’s National Guard have died during a wave of violence in the state of Jalisco after the killing of a drug lord, the country’s security minister has said
Translate This Article
