Mexico has moved large numbers of troops into several regions after widespread unrest broke out in the wake of the death of a notorious cartel leader, according to the country’s security minister.
Defence Secretary Ricardo Trevilla said that 2,500 additional soldiers were dispatched to western parts of the country on Monday. Authorities say roughly 9,500 troops in total have been mobilised since Sunday to restore order.
Violence has been reported in at least 20 states following the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho”. He died in custody on Sunday, shortly after being detained by Mexican special forces in Jalisco.
El Mencho headed the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the country’s most violent criminal groups, and had been considered Mexico’s most wanted fugitive.
Officials say at least 25 members of National Guard have been killed in Jalisco since clashes began.
According to Trevilla, security forces located El Mencho after tracking a romantic partner he was planning to meet. During the arrest operation, his bodyguards exchanged fire with military commandos, leaving the cartel leader critically wounded. He later died while being transported from the town of Tapalpa to Mexico City.
The defence ministry said six of his guards were killed during the raid, while three members of the Mexican military were injured.
Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said a prison guard, a member of the state prosecutor’s office, and 30 members of El Mencho’s criminal organisation had been killed in the unrest since his death, according to the AFP news agency.
President Claudia Sheinbaum commended the military action and said her administration is focused on restoring stability nationwide.
“There is calm, there is government, there are armed forces, and there is a lot of co-ordination,” she said.
After news of El Mencho’s death spread, CJNG members carried out coordinated attacks in towns and cities where the group operates. Roads were blocked using spikes and nails in some areas, while in others cartel members hijacked buses and vehicles before setting them on fire.
Sheinbaum said these roadblocks had been removed by Monday morning. Still, dozens of banks and local businesses were damaged after being torched.
Verified social media footage shows tourists watching from a hotel pool as a military helicopter flies low overhead, with smoke visible above buildings in Puerto Vallarta.
In many communities, streets were left empty on Sunday after local authorities urged residents to remain indoors.
BBC Verify also confirmed videos showing clashes between cartel gunmen and the National Guard in San Isidro, north of Guadalajara. One clip shows an armed individual firing toward several vehicles, while other images show at least four bodies lying near a car.
Security camera footage from a nearby restaurant captured a vehicle ramming a National Guard truck as gunmen opened fire at around 11:00 local time (05:00 GMT). The National Guard has not commented on the incident.
The United States Department of State had previously offered a $15 million (£11.1 million) reward for information leading to El Mencho’s capture.
Mexico’s defence ministry said the operation was carried out by the army with support from the National Guard and the Air Force. It added that assistance from the US helped locate the cartel leader, but Mexican authorities stressed on Monday that no US forces were involved in his death, according to AFP.
