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The Mexican government has announced the death of a prominent drug cartel leader in Central America, following a military-led operation.
Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, once a police officer, was at the helm of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) describes as one of Mexico’s “most powerful and ruthless criminal organizations.”
The operation, involving various branches of Mexico’s military, took place in the town of Tapalpa, located in the western state of Jalisco, on Sunday (Monday AEDT).
According to Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defence, a fierce exchange of gunfire erupted between CJNG members and government forces, resulting in the deaths of four cartel members at the site.
Oseguera and two others suffered severe injuries and succumbed to their wounds while being transported to Mexico City, as reported by the secretariat.
Three Mexican troops were also injured in the operation and transferred to a hospital in Mexico City for treatment.
The military operation triggered a series of violent events across the state of Jalisco, which is scheduled to host four matches of this year’s football World Cup in June, before spreading to other states such as Michoacán and Guanajuato.
Suspected members of organised crime groups set buses on fire, blocked roads in the area, and clashed with authorities, Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro said.
Lemus said the violence has spread to at least five states and urged the public to avoid travelling on highways.
Oseguera was wanted by US authorities, who offered a bounty of up to US$15 million ($21 million) for information leading to his arrest.
The US Justice Department charged El Mencho in 2022 with leading the effort to manufacture and distribute fentanyl for importation into the US.
A Justice Department indictment of Oseguera said his organisation is active in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Colima, and Veracruz, and has a presence elsewhere.
In a post on X, US State Department Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau described Oseguera’s death as a “great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world.”
He added that he is watching the chaotic scenes in Mexico “with great sadness and concern.”
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