Additional Coverage:
- Tourist hotspot Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, erupts into fiery chaos as desperate travel warning issued (irishstar.com)
Chaos Erupts in Jalisco After Cartel Leader “El Mencho” Killed in Military Operation
PUERTO VALLARTA, JALISCO – A targeted operation by Mexican federal forces has plunged the popular tourist destination of Puerto Vallarta and surrounding areas into a scene of fiery chaos, following the killing of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The U.S. State Department has issued a stark warning to American citizens in the region, advising them to shelter in place.
The intense backlash from the CJNG included widespread acts of arson, with buses set ablaze and buildings torched, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky over Sunday. This fierce retaliation came after federal forces reportedly cornered and killed El Mencho during an operation aimed at his capture.
El Mencho’s Demise and Cartel Retaliation
Details released by the Defense Department indicate that Oseguera Cervantes was wounded during the Sunday operation in Tapalpa, a town located about 170 miles southeast of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco state. He later succumbed to his injuries while being transported to Mexico City. The CJNG, known for its extensive drug trafficking operations, including vast quantities of fentanyl to the United States, reacted with immediate and forceful violence across the state.
Mexican authorities confirmed that troops engaged in a firefight during the operation, resulting in the deaths of four individuals at the scene, with three more, including El Mencho, dying from their wounds. Two arrests were made, and a cache of armored vehicles, rocket launchers, and other weaponry was seized. Three members of the armed forces sustained injuries.
A Jalisco state official, speaking anonymously, detailed further casualties, including a National Guard member in Tapalpa, six National Guard members in Zapopan, a jail guard in Puerto Vallarta during a prison riot, and a Jalisco state prosecutor’s agent in Guadalajara.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico acknowledged the operation on X, stating it was conducted by Mexican special forces “within the framework of bilateral cooperation, with U.S. authorities providing complementary intelligence.”
A Shift in Strategy Under President Sheinbaum?
Analysts like David Mora of the International Crisis Group suggest this aggressive stance by the military reflects a shift under President Claudia Sheinbaum. “Ever since President Sheinbaum has been in power, the army has been way more confrontational, combative against criminal groups in Mexico,” Mora noted. “This is signaling to the U.S. that if we keep cooperating, sharing intelligence, Mexico can do it, we don’t need U.S. troops on Mexican soil.”
President Sheinbaum, while historically critical of the “kingpin” strategy that often leads to increased violence, applauded the security forces on X and called for calm. Her administration has faced mounting pressure from the U.S., particularly under President Donald Trump, to demonstrate results against drug trafficking.
Cities Paralyzed, Travel Disrupted
The aftermath of El Mencho’s killing has left parts of Jalisco in a state of paralysis. Social media videos captured smoke billowing over Puerto Vallarta and panicked scenes at the state capital’s airport. Air Canada announced the suspension of flights to Puerto Vallarta “due to an ongoing security situation.”
In Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city and a host city for this summer’s soccer World Cup, burning vehicles blocked roads, effectively turning parts of the city into a ghost town as residents hunkered down. School was canceled on Monday in several states near the violence.
The U.S. State Department and Canada’s embassy in Mexico have issued warnings to their citizens in Jalisco and other affected states, urging them to shelter in place, avoid crowds, and minimize movement. Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus advised residents to stay home and suspended public transportation.
The Rise and Fall of El Mencho
The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. The CJNG, founded in 2009, quickly became one of Mexico’s most powerful and aggressive criminal organizations, even being designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration in February.
El Mencho, 59, had a long history in drug trafficking, dating back to the 1990s. After serving nearly three years in a U.S. prison for heroin distribution, he returned to Mexico and became involved with drug lord Ignacio Coronel Villarreal.
Following Villarreal’s death, Oseguera Cervantes and Erik Valencia Salazar formed the CJNG around 2007. Initially aligned with the Sinaloa Cartel, the CJNG eventually split, leading to years of violent territorial battles across Mexico.
The Jalisco cartel is infamous for its aggressive tactics, including attacks on military helicopters, the use of explosives from drones, and the deployment of mines. In 2020, they carried out a spectacular assassination attempt in Mexico City against the then-head of the capital’s police force. The DEA considers the CJNG as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, with a presence in all 50 U.S. states and billions in earnings from the production and trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamines.