The Mexican military has killed the leader of the country’s most powerful cartel and one of the United States’ most wanted fugitives. El Menchoas he is known, he is dead. Although it is a victory for law enforcement, cartel members have responded with a wave of violence across Mexico. Here’s what went down after Mencho’s death, according to the Associated Press.
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El Mencho Dies While Trying to Arrest, Cartels Unleash Violence
Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, was killed during an attempt to capture him. At that time, his followers tried to fight the Mexican army. Mexico’s Secretary of Defense, Ricardo Trevilla, said Monday that the military and the National Guard began an operation in the southern part of Jalisco state to capture El Mencho. The Mexican air force and special forces were also involved. The intelligence unit met with one of Mencho’s lovers and led them to his hiding place, he said.
The wagon attacked. In this clash, the army killed eight members of the gang. El Mencho and two of his bodyguards were wounded and later died while being airlifted to Mexico City, Trevilla said. Officials seized rocket launchers capable of shooting down planes and destroying armored vehicles at the scene.
The assassination of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel And Mesio Oseguera Cervantes when they tried to arrest him in the province of Jalisco it was a major blow to the cartels. The highest since the recapture of former Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán a decade ago.
After El Mencho’s death, security forces have been closely monitored across the country as gunmen unleash violence. Cartels set cars on fire, blocking roads in 20 Mexican states. People have locked themselves in their homes in Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city and the capital of Jalisco. Also, school was canceled on Monday in many states.
Who was El Mencho?
Oseguera Cervantes, better known as ‘El Mencho,’ was 59 years old and originally from the western state of Michoacan. His ties to organized crime go back at least 30 years. In 1994, he was tried for heroin trafficking in the US. He spent three years in prison. After returning to Mexico, he quickly rose to drug trafficking in Mexico.
Around 2009, El Mencho founded the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. It became the fastest growing criminal organization in Mexico and moved cocaine, methamphetamines, fentanyl and immigrants to the United States. The cartel is aggressively recruiting, trying new ways to reach potential members online. It also makes money from fuel theft, extortion and fraud.
Finally, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel gained a reputation for attacking Mexican security forces, including the downing of a military helicopter in Jalisco in 2015. Mencho’s cartel also attempted the dramatic assassination of Mexico City Police Chief Omar García Harfuch, but was unsuccessful. Harfuch is now Mexico’s federal security secretary.
It is not clear who will succeed El Mencho, although there is one person who could step in. The Jalisco cartel has a presence in at least 21 of Mexico’s 32 states and operates almost throughout the United States, according to the US DEA. But it is also a global organization.
Will the US Respond?
The killing could give Mexico a leg up in its dealings with the Trump administration. The president has been threatening tariffs or military action if Mexico does not show results in fighting these cartels.
El Mencho was facing many charges in the United States and the US State Department had issued a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest. The Trump administration has designated a terrorist organization as its leader last year.
Associated Press writer María Verza contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
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