Violence erupts in Mexico after cartel chief “El Mencho” killed in army operation

Violent clashes erupted in elements of western Mexico on Sunday amid a army operation that led to the loss of life of the Jalisco New Era Cartel chief, triggering widespread safety considerations all through the area.

Mexican safety forces killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also referred to as “El Mencho,” throughout an operation within the western state of Jalisco, Mexico’s Ministry of Protection stated in a press release on X. It stated he was wounded through the raid within the city of Tapalpa and died whereas being flown to Mexico Metropolis.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who additionally confirmed the cartel chief’s loss of life, described him as “one of many bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins.”

“This can be a nice improvement for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. The great guys are stronger than the unhealthy guys,” he stated on X.

The operation adopted a number of hours of roadblocks with burning autos in Jalisco and different states. Such ways are generally utilized by the cartels to dam army operations.

Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus Navarro activated a “code purple,” which is a protocol for a state of emergency or safety disaster, in response to the clashes. In a submit on X, he stated public transportation was suspended throughout Jalisco and urged individuals within the space to stay of their properties till the scenario was underneath management.

Movies circulating on social media confirmed plumes of smoke billowing over the town of Puerto Vallarta, a serious metropolis in Jalisco, and sprinting by the airport of the state’s capital in panic.

The same scenario unfolded on the airport in Reynosa, a Mexican border metropolis within the state of Tamaulipas, sources on the bottom and members of the family within the metropolis advised CBS Information’ Nidia Cavazos. They stated roads to and from the airport had been blocked off by cartel members. Reynosa borders McAllen, Texas, and is usually filled with Individuals touring backwards and forwards. Whereas worldwide bridges remained open, key streets to get to the bridges have been blocked off. 

The U.S. State Division has launched a safety alert advising Americans in a number of Mexican states, together with Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon, to shelter in place till additional discover. 

Air Canada briefly suspended operations on the Puerto Vallarta Airport due to what it described as “an ongoing safety scenario in Puerto Vallarta” that impacted the airport.

“We’re monitoring the scenario and involved with native authorities who’re working to resolve the difficulty,” the airline stated.

Southwest and Alaska Airways confirmed they canceled flights to and from Puerto Vallarta on Sunday, whereas Delta Air Traces issued journey waivers to clients with flights into or out of the airport in Puerto Vallarta in addition to Guadalajara. 

“The security of our clients and crew all the time comes first and we’re carefully monitoring the scenario within the area. Now we have taken steps to regulate our operation accordingly and are working to speak with our impacted clients,” Delta stated in a press release.

The U.S. State Division had provided a reward of as much as $15 million for data resulting in the arrest of El Mencho.

In February, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a overseas terrorist group, saying that along with trafficking fentanyl, the group “engages in extortion, migrant smuggling, oil and mineral theft, in addition to weapons commerce.”