Mexico fears more violence after army kills leader of powerful Jalisco cartel

Mexico was gripped by fear and disruption after the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, triggered a wave of coordinated violence across large parts of the country.

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Schools were shut in several states, transport ground to a halt in key cities, and residents were urged by authorities at home and abroad to stay indoors as cartel gunmen torched vehicles and blocked highways.

Oseguera Cervantes, regarded as one of the world’s most powerful drug traffickers, was killed during a military operation in his home state of Jalisco on Sunday. Mexican defence officials said troops attempting to capture him came under heavy fire during a shootout in Tapalpa, around a two-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara.

Four people were killed at the scene, while three others, including Oseguera Cervantes, wounded were and later died. He succumbed to his injuries while being flown to Mexico City, according to the Defence Department.

The operation unleashed immediate retaliation by the cartel, with authorities reporting more than 250 roadblocks across at least 20 states. Vehicles were set ablaze, roads were sealed off and gun battles erupted in multiple locations.

By late Sunday, the government said most of the blockades had been cleared, but the violence had already left a deep mark.