After the death of a Mexican drug lord, at least 25 National Guardsmen were killed in violence.

 

A member of Mexico's National Guard stands near the charred wreckage of bus that appears to have been set on fire by organised crime groups in Jalisco state on Sunday (Image: Getty Images)

According to the country's security minister, a wave of violence in the state of Jalisco following the death of a drug lord has resulted in the deaths of at least 25 members of Mexico's National Guard. Since Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, more commonly referred to as "El Mencho," passed away in custody on Sunday, shortly after being captured by Mexican special forces, there have been uprisings in at least 20 states. Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla announced on Monday that Mexico has sent 2,500 soldiers to the west of the country to improve security. One of Mexico's most feared criminal organizations is the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), whose leader was Mexico's most wanted man before his death on Sunday. According to Mexico's defense secretary, El Mencho was apprehended on Sunday after forces discovered a romantic partner he was meeting. A firefight between his bodyguards and the military commandos sent to capture him left him with serious injuries. 

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El Mencho passed away while being transported by the military from the town of Tapalpa in the state of Jalisco to Mexico City, the capital. The operation resulted in the deaths of at least six of El Mencho's security guards as well as three injuries to Mexican military personnel, according to the defense ministry. According to the AFP news agency, security secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch stated that 30 members of El Mencho's criminal organization and a member of the state prosecutor's office have been killed in the uprising since his death. Claudia Sheinbaum, the president of Mexico, has praised the army's operation that resulted in El Mencho's death and stated that her top priority is to ensure peace and security throughout the country. El Mencho's cartel members launched attacks in numerous CJGN-operated towns and cities as word of his death spread. They burned buses and other vehicles in the middle of the road in some towns and blocked roads with spikes and nails thrown on the tarmac in others. 

(Image: Reuters)

By Monday morning, Sheinbaum stated, the roadblocks had been removed. However, members of the cartel have set fire to dozens of local businesses and banks, causing damage. On Sunday, local authorities advised residents to seek shelter in their homes, resulting in streets in many towns being deserted. For information leading to El Mencho's capture, the US State Department had offered a reward of $15 million (£11.1 million). The Mexican Ministry of Defence said that the raid aimed at capturing El Mencho had been carried out by the Mexican army, with support from the country's National Guard and Air Force.

 According to the AFP news agency, Mexico confirmed on Monday that no US forces were involved in the drug lord's death. However, it added that "complementary information" provided by the United States had assisted in seizing the drug lord.

Source: BBC