Mexico has deployed 10,000 troops to quell clashes sparked by the killing of the country’s most-wanted drug lord that claimed dozens of lives, officials said Monday. Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was wounded Sunday in a shootout with soldiers in the town of Tapalpa, in Jalisco state, and died while being flown to Mexico City, the army said.
News of his death triggered spasms of violence, with cartel members blocking roads in 20 states and torching vehicles and businesses. During the raid on Oseguera and subsequent clashes, at least 27 members of security forces, 46 suspected criminals and one civilian were killed, authorities reported.
A prison break in Jalisco saw at least 23 people escape when their jail was attacked in a hail of gunfire by “criminal groups,” according to the state security secretary. Oseguera had a $15 million US bounty on his head. Fearful residents went into hiding and tourists took shelter in their hotels as cartel members went on the rampage over the weekend. Even as calm largely returned, many businesses remained closed Monday.
The government sent an additional 2,500 troops to Jalisco — one of the host cities in this year’s FIFA World Cup — bringing to 10,000 the troop deployment since Sunday. In Aguillila, the birthplace of “El Mencho” in Michoacan state, residents reported blockades early Monday.
Photos shared on local social media accounts showed a column of black smoke floating above the mountain village. In Jalisco’s state capital Guadalajara, schools remained closed and most public transportation was suspended.
