Mexican drug lord 'El Mencho' killed in military operation

Mexican drug lord "El Mencho" has been killed in a military operation.

The leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, whose real name is Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, died on Sunday.

Oseguera Cervantes was wounded in an operation to capture him in Tapalpa, Jalisco, around two hours' drive southwest of Guadalajara, on Sunday, the Defence Department said in a statement.

He died while being flown to Mexico City, the statement added.

The state is the base of the cartel known for trafficking large quantities of fentanyl and other drugs to the US.

During the operation, troops came under fire and killed four people.

Three others, including Oseguera Cervantes, were wounded and later died, the statement said.

Two more people were arrested, and armoured vehicles, rocket launchers and other firearms were seized.

Three members of the armed forces were also wounded.

The US Embassy in Mexico said on X that Mexican special forces carried out the operation "within the framework of bilateral cooperation, with U.S. authorities providing complementary intelligence".

Roads blocked and cars set on fire

The killing of Oseguera Cervantes set off several hours of roadblocks, with vehicles torched in Jalisco and other states.

Such tactics are commonly used by the cartels to block military operations.

Videos posted on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing over Puerto Vallarta, a major city in Jalisco, and people running through the airport of the state's capital in panic.

In Guadalajara, the state capital, flaming vehicles blocked roads. Mexico's second-largest city is set to host matches at the World Cup this summer.

The US State Department warned US citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon states to remain in safe places while security operations are carried out.

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Jalisco governor Pablo Lemus told residents to stay at home and suspended public transportation. School in the state was also cancelled for Monday.

On Sunday, United Airlines said it had cancelled flight operations to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.

American Airlines told Reuters in a separate statement it has cancelled flights to and from PVR and GDL for the remainder of Sunday.

Air Canada said it was suspending flights to Puerto Vallarta "due to an ongoing security situation".

Reaction to operation

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum recognised the efforts of security forces and called for calm in a post on X.

US Deputy Secretary ‌of State Christopher ​Landau called the drug lord's killing ⁠a "great development ⁠for Mexico, the ‌US, Latin America, and ‌the world".

Posting on X, Mr Landau added: "I'm watching the scenes of violence from ⁠Mexico with ​great sadness and ​concern."

The US State Department had offered a reward of up to $15m for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho.

Oseguera Cervantes has been heavily involved in drug trafficking since the 1990s.

He was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin in the US District Court for the Northern District of California in 1994 and spent almost three years in prison.

Following his release from custody, Oseguera Cervantes returned to Mexico and continued drug trafficking operations.

Since 2017, he has been indicted several times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

One of Mexico's most powerful criminal organisations

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is one of the most powerful and fastest-growing criminal organisations in Mexico.

In February, the Trump administration designated it as a foreign terrorist organisation.

The cartel carried out a daring assassination attempt in 2020 with grenades and high-powered rifles against the then-head of the capital's police force, who is now head of federal security, in the heart of Mexico City.

The DEA considers it to be as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico's most notorious criminal groups.

The cartel has a presence in all 50 US states and is believed to be one of the leading suppliers of cocaine to the US market.

Like the Sinaloa cartel, it earns billions of dollars from the production of methamphetamines and fentanyl.