More than fifty deaths in Mexico due to the wave of violence following the death of El Mencho

BarcelonaThe death of Nemesio Oseguera CervantesThe leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), known as El Mencho, has unleashed a wave of violence in Mexico that has left roads blocked, buildings burned, and at least 55 dead. The Mexican government confirmed that at least 25 members of the Mexican National Guard and about 30 members of the CJNG died in the unrest. In addition, some 70 cartel members were arrested in states such as Jalisco and Michoacán (in the west), according to Mexico's Secretary of Security, Omar García Harfuch. Authorities say they have restored calm after road blockades, vehicle fires, and coordinated attacks were reported Sunday night (Monday in Catalonia) in several locations in Jalisco and neighboring states. "Today there is more peace and quiet, and there is a government, there are armed forces. There is a security cabinet and a great deal of coordination. So, you can rest assured that peace, security, and normalcy are being protected in the country," said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at a press conference this Monday.

Authorities explained that the incidents were "violent reactions" from organized crime, including 27 attacks against security forces. The unrest spread across twelve states, but the hardest-hit region was Jalisco, where 25 soldiers, a prison guard, and a member of the state prosecutor's office were killed. In addition, in the neighboring state of Michoacán, fifteen armed attacks left fifteen members of state and local law enforcement agencies wounded. The incidents, attributed to reprisals by the criminal group, have forced the deployment of federal reinforcements and have created a climate of fear among the Mexican population. In some municipalities, businesses and schools have been temporarily closed, and traffic has been intermittently disrupted. Some airlines have canceled flights to and from the region, leaving thousands of travelers stranded in tourist destinations such as Puerto Vallarta.

Mexican authorities located El Mencho by tracking one of his romantic partners, according to Mexican Defense Secretary General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo. After the cartel leader met there on Friday, Mexican forces began planning the operation, which they carried out on Sunday. The United States collaborated in the operation, but only with intelligence, the Mexican Defense Secretary specified. According to General Trevilla, the operation took place in the city of Tapalpa. Mexican ground forces attacked the bunker where El Mencho was located early Sunday morning, supported by six helicopters circling the compound, and were immediately fired upon by cartel members. The drug traffickers then fled into a wooded area, and Mexican special forces pursued them until they found them "hiding in the undergrowth." When Oseguera's men wounded the soldiers traveling by helicopter, Mexican forces shot them dead.

The federal government has announced the establishment of a command center to oversee the response and a reinforcement of the military and police presence in the affected areas, in order to prevent the unrest from spreading and to contain potential internal power struggles within the cartel. Likewise, the National Guard is maintaining a strong security operation, including armored units and security personnel with long guns, in the vicinity of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO), where the Attorney General's Office is holding the remains of El Mencho.

The power vacuum left by El Mencho's death does not necessarily imply an immediate reduction in violence. On the contrary, experts point out that similar episodes in the past have led to internal fragmentation and a struggle for territorial control, with a temporary increase in homicides and attacks.