Mexico is experiencing a rise in violence, with fires and blockades in at least 16 of its 32 states, following the death of one of the most wanted drug traffickers, El Mencho, who led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. This operation, which involved collaboration with US intelligence, is taking place in a context of pressure from Washington to combat drug trafficking. Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, died while being flown to Mexico City by federal forces. This occurred after an operation in the municipality of Tapalpa, located 130 kilometres south of Guadalajara, which was carried out with information provided by the United States, according to reports from the Mexican Defence Secretariat. The operation in that area resulted in a shootout where military forces defended against an attack, with a toll of seven CJNG members killed, including the group’s leader, as well as two arrests and the confiscation of weapons and vehicles, including rocket launchers, as reported by the Army. In response to the situation, ‘narcoblockades’ began in several localities in southern Jalisco, with burning vehicles and blocked roads. The state government implemented a «red alert» and halted public transport services in certain areas, as well as cancelling in-person classes on Monday. The response spread to nearby states such as Michoacán, Colima, and Nayarit, and then to Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Tamaulipas, Baja California, Guerrero, and Quintana Roo, where blockades, vehicle fires, and incidents at establishments, including offices of the Bank of Wellbeing, were reported.
Violence sweeps across Mexico following the death of El Mencho in an operation with the help of the USA.
