Authorities followed a mistress to the hideout of one of Mexico’s most notorious drug cartel bosses, before killing him in a shootout that sparked a wave of violence that has killed dozens of people.
At least 73 people died in Mexico’s attempt to capture the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the violent aftermath of his death, authorities said on Monday as much of the country feared another wave of violence.
The body count taken by security officials included security forces, suspected cartel members and others.
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, called “El Mencho,” was the boss of one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico, known for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the United States and staging brazen attacks against government officials.
The organisation responded to his death with widespread violence, including blocking roads and setting fire to vehicles.
Oseguera Cervantes died after a shootout in his home state of Jalisco as the Mexican military tried to capture him. Mexican Defence Secretary Ricardo Trevilla said on Monday that authorities had followed one of Oseguera Cervantes’ romantic partners to his hideout in Tapalpa.
Oseguera Cervantes and two bodyguards fled into a wooded area where they were seriously wounded in a firefight. They were taken into custody and died on the way to Mexico City, Trevilla said.
In a different location in Jalisco, soldiers also killed another high-ranking cartel member who Trevilla said was coordinating violence and offering more than US$1000 for every soldier killed.
The dead included 25 members of the Mexican National Guard who were killed in six separate attacks, Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said.
Harfuch said some 30 criminal suspects were killed in Jalisco, and four others were killed in the neighboring state of Michoacan. Also killed were a prison guard and an agent from the state prosecutor’s office.
As the threat of violence loomed, several Mexican states cancelled school Monday, while local and foreign governments warned their citizens to stay inside.
President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm, and authorities said all of the more than 250 cartel roadblocks across 20 states had been cleared by Monday.
The White House confirmed that the US provided intelligence support to the operation to capture the cartel leader and applauded Mexico’s army for taking down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries.
Mexico hoped the death of the world’s biggest fentanyl traffickers would ease Trump administration pressure to do more against the cartels, but many people were on edge as they waited to see the powerful cartel’s reaction.
