At least 62 people have been killed in Mexico after a pre-dawn military raid targeting one of the country’s most wanted cartel leaders, triggered coordinated violence across more than a dozen states. Troops have been deployed and flights disrupted as security forces sought to regain control.
The operation targeted Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as "El Mencho", leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Officials said he was seriously wounded in a firefight at a hideout in the mountain town of Tapalpa and died while being airlifted to Mexico City.
Among the 62 dead were 25 members of Mexico’s National Guard and 34 suspected gang members. Dozens more people were injured as cartel loyalists set up around 85 roadblocks in more than a dozen states, torching vehicles and blocking major highways.
The government has deployed an additional 2,000 troops to Jalisco, the cartel’s stronghold, to reinforce security operations.
The crackdown comes amid renewed pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump on Mexico to intensify efforts against drug trafficking ahead of a review of the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade pact.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stressed that the mission was conducted solely by Mexican forces.
“There is no U.S. participation in the operation,” she said.
“What there is, as we have said here several times, is a great deal of information sharing. The understanding with the United States is based primarily on the exchange of intelligence information,” Sheinbaum concluded.
Officials said a tip linked to Oseguera’s romantic relationships led security forces to his location.
Following confirmation of Cervantes' death, violence erupted in several regions where the cartel operates.
Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said a prison guard, a member of the state prosecutor’s office and 30 suspected cartel members were killed in the unrest.
Authorities deployed 2,500 soldiers to western Mexico to reinforce security.
Road blockades were reported in multiple states. Vehicles were hijacked and set alight, and businesses were forced to close. In Guadalajara, streets remained unusually quiet, with public transport running below normal levels.
“Yes, I’m afraid, but I also need to work,” said taxi driver Oscar Lozano.
Tourism has also been affected, with flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara suspended over the weekend.
“It’s not possible to get out right now,” said Natalie Belluccia, a 28-year-old visitor from New York.
“We’re locked down in the resort… the whole city is under lockdown because everyone is scared of getting stopped by the cartel,” Belluccia explained.
Officials said flights were expected to resume on Monday or Tuesday as the situation stabilises.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling t...
Asian stocks plunged to their lowest level in more than two months on Tuesday as advances by Chinese chipmakers rattled investor confidence in the ...
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles laun...
One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Yemen's Houthis renewed warning to airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the warning should be taken seriously and that the kingdom “bore responsibility for failed interceptions”, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow his country to hold presidential elections, saying it wanted an overall peace deal instead.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined high school students protesting outside a school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on Tuesday, as a wave of student demonstrations continues across France.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a newly opened defence museum displaying weapons developed under his leadership, including an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
Southeast Asian foreign ministers are set to discuss measures to tackle transboundary haze during preparatory meetings ahead of the ASEAN summit in November, as forest and land fires in Indonesia continue to affect air quality across the region, the Philippines said on Tuesday.
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the United Kingdom believes Iran was likely behind an alleged plot connected to RAF Fairford, a military airbase in Gloucestershire in England that has played a role in U.S. operations against Iran, escalating tensions between London and Tehran.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment