On Sunday, Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense announced that its special forces had killed drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes. The death of Cervantes has sparked cartel violence across the entire country.
Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho”, was the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). He died from his wounds as a result of a military operation to capture him in the town of Tapalpa.
El Mencho was wounded in a clash with soldiers in the town of Tapalpa, in Jalisco state, and died while being flown to Mexico City, the army said in a statement. He had a $15 million US bounty on his head. –LiveMint
Battles between cartel gunmen and security forces have broken out in multiple cities across Mexico, according to a report by RT. Airports were locked down and thousands of tourists confined to their hotels and resorts as gunmen ran rampant over city streets, burning cars, shooting, and looting.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro declared a state of emergency. The violence has quickly spread to the states of Michoacán, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Colima, and Oaxaca.
The Trump administration has praised the killing of Cervantes, calling it a “significant development” for both the United States and Mexico, as well as for the rest of Latin America. Not long after his death, Trump shared a cryptic post on social media Monday.
Donald Trump, the U.S. president said, “We’re Winning too much, it’s just not fair! President DJT.” The U.S. claimed it provided intelligence support in Sunday’s drug raids, according to a report by LiveMint.
The cartel has taken to blocking roads and attacking patrol vehicles, public buildings, banks, transport hubs, and has threatened to enter tourist resorts.
Videos posted to social media show burning vehicles and gunmen on the streets. All flights in and out of the airports of Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara have been suspended, according to a report by RT.
Graphic videos from the scene show wounded security officials and destroyed patrol vehicles, as well as bodies lying on the ground.
Footage from inside Guadalajara Airport, Mexico’s third largest, shows people running in fear as gunshots go off in the distance.
Another video shows armed men in body armor pulling up to a gas station in Guadalajara and setting it ablaze.
The US Embassy in Mexico has issued a security alert for the country, urging US citizens to seek shelter, avoid crowds, and be careful.
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