Mexican forces have killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho, one of the country's most notorious drug lords, in a military operation supported by the United States.
The operation took place in Talpalpa, in the southern part of Jalisco, on Sunday, according to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Sheinbaum stated that the Secretariat of National Defence reported the operation had been carried out by federal forces.
El Mencho, aged 59, was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which operates from the western state of Jalisco and is known for its large military-style arsenal. He was killed during the operation, along with three additional cartel members, while three were wounded and two were arrested.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the US had provided intelligence to the Mexican government to assist with the operation. The killing of El Mencho has sparked a wave of violence across Mexico, with at least 14 people killed in Sunday's violence, including seven members of the national guard.
Vanessa Rubio-Marquez, associate dean for extended education at the London School of Economics, said the US involvement in the operation highlights the need for cooperation between the two countries to combat transnational crime. "Both countries need to work together to protect citizens," she said.
Violence erupted in at least 20 Mexican states, including Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan, Nayarit, Guanajuato, and Tamaulipas. The US embassy in Mexico issued a security alert for US citizens in several states, advising them to stay indoors.
Benjamin Smith, a professor of Latin American history at the University of Warwick, said the operation could result in "more public murders" and reverse the trend of decreasing homicides in Mexico. The future of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel remains uncertain, with a power vacuum left by El Mencho's death.
Source: Al Jazeera
