Mexico is confronting a severe security crisis following the death of Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera, the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The government’s attempt to project stability clashes with the reality of widespread violence that has erupted across twenty states since Sunday’s operation.
Authorities have revealed the intricate details of the mission that led to El Mencho’s demise. Special forces tracked the cartel leader to a remote mountain hideout near Tapalpa by surveilling his girlfriend. The subsequent raid triggered an intense firefight with El Mencho’s security detail, who employed high-powered weaponry including rifles, rocket launchers, and grenades. Although initially escaping into the forest, El Mencho was later found wounded and died alongside two bodyguards during medical evacuation by helicopter.
The power vacuum created by his death has sparked coordinated retaliatory attacks, resulting in the deaths of twenty-five National Guard troops. The violence has disrupted daily life, with schools closing, flights suspended from Puerto Vallarta, and security forces flooding Jalisco state. Despite official assurances of normalcy, the government has deployed thousands of additional troops to contain potential power struggles within cartel leadership.
The international ramifications are becoming apparent, with Belize issuing a travel advisory for its citizens in Mexico. Ambassador Oscar Arnold confirmed that while some areas remain relatively calm, travelers should exercise extreme caution on federal highways and avoid unnecessary movement due to potential retaliatory violence from cartel remnants.