After the death of cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho” Mexico has seen a surge of violence that has taken several lives. On Monday, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said that at least 25 National Guard members, 30 cartel operatives, and other justice workers and civilians had been killed in the fighting. Most of the road blockades that erupted in response to El Mencho’s death have now been cleared, and no new blockades have been reported. Main traffic corridors have been reopened and the areas affected by the closures are under control. Harfuch noted that a total of 85 blockades had been registered across various states. The cartel leader was shot dead by Mexican security forces during a failed arrest attempt in Jalisco on Sunday. The CJNG retaliated with extensive street blockades; vehicles were set ablaze in nearly a dozen states. El Mencho had been wounded during a raid in the town of Tapalpa and later died while being transported to Mexico City. Jalisco remains the cartel’s headquarters, and the group is infamous for smuggling large quantities of fentanyl and other drugs into the United States. The U.S. government reportedly provided intelligence assistance to Mexican officials during the operation.
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