Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Mexico’s president said the country was experiencing “greater calm” on Monday after a wave of cartel-linked violence erupted in the wake of the killing of one of the world’s most wanted drug traffickers, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho.”
According to Mexican officials, Oseguera Cervantes leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was killed Sunday during a security operation in the western state of Jalisco led by Mexican armed forces.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said at a press briefing Monday that the situation had stabilized following widespread unrest triggered by the operation. “Today there is greater calm,” Sheinbaum said. “The public can rest assured that peace, security, and normalcy are being safeguarded across the country.”
Violence Spread Across Western Mexico
In the immediate aftermath of Oseguera Cervantes’ death, cartel-organized violence flared across several regions. Authorities reported vehicles set ablaze, hundreds of road blockages, and coordinated attacks on gas stations and businesses. Disruptions were particularly severe in and around Guadalajara and the Pacific resort city of Puerto Vallarta.
By Monday morning, Sheinbaum said, blockades had been cleared and “normal activity has largely been restored.”
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico urged American citizens in affected areas to shelter in place due to ongoing security operations and criminal activity. While no airports were formally closed, road blockages significantly disrupted airline operations, with most domestic and international flights canceled in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. Ride-share services were suspended in Puerto Vallarta, and some businesses halted operations.
A Violent Confrontation
Mexico’s Secretary of National Defense, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, said Monday that when Mexican forces moved in to capture Oseguera Cervantes, his security detail opened fire.
“El Mencho fled the location, leaving behind a heavily armed group,” Trevilla said, describing the confrontation as “extremely violent.”
Mexican special forces continued pursuing the cartel leader, eventually injuring him and two of his bodyguards. According to officials, Oseguera Cervantes and the two men later died during a helicopter evacuation flight en route to a medical facility in Jalisco.
The clashes proved deadly on both sides. Mexican authorities said 25 members of the National Guard were killed in Jalisco, along with 30 cartel members. In the neighboring state of Michoacán, four additional cartel members were reported killed.
Among the dead was described as a “principal confidant” of El Mencho in Jalisco who had allegedly coordinated road blockades, vehicle burnings, and attacks on military and government facilities.
Seventy suspected cartel members were detained across seven states in the broader security crackdown, officials said.
A Long-Sought Target
Oseguera Cervantes had long been one of the most wanted figures in both Mexico and the United States. U.S. authorities have accused him of overseeing vast drug trafficking operations, including the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States. Last year, former U.S. President Donald Trump designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, according to the White House.
His death marks a major milestone in Mexico’s fight against organized crime, but analysts caution that the fragmentation of powerful cartels can sometimes trigger further instability as rival factions compete for control.
For now, Mexican officials insist that security forces remain deployed in key areas and that order is being restored. Whether the relative calm reported Monday will hold in the coming days remains closely watched both domestically and internationally.
