At least 25 Mexican national guard members have been killed in the New Generation Jalisco Cartel’s vicious retaliation following the death of its leader in a daring military raid, authorities said Monday.
Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla broke into tears as he revealed the scale of the cartel’s attacks on Mexico’s military, which led the operation that killed the powerful drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.
Mexico Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said the soldiers were killed in “27 cowardly attacks against authorities in Jalisco,” adding that 30 cartel members were also killed in the violence.
Mexico’s Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla Trejo reacts during a press conference Monday about the wave of violence following the killing of Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera. Getty ImagesOseguera and six of his men died following a military raid at his fortified compound in Jalisco on Sunday, triggering widespread violence by Mexico’s deadliest narco gang.
It saw cartel members set up more than 250 roadblocks across 20 states, with the heavily armed gangs attacking military and law enforcement agents.
Along with the national huard members, the cartel killed a prison guard, an agent from the state prosecutor’s office and a female bystander, Harfuch told reporters.
Mexico’s Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla Trejo becomes emotional while discussing the guards killed in the military operation. REUTERSThe Jalisco cartel is Mexico’s most aggressive gang and has access to heavy weapons, rocket launchers, drones and mines.
Local and foreign governments have warned their citizens to stay inside as a result of the violence, with several Mexican states canceling school on Monday.
Members of the national guard secure the area where the body of the cartel leader was taken after he was killed in Mexico City Sunday. Mario Guzman/EPA/ShutterstockThe US Embassy urged its personnel in eight cities and the state of Michoacan to shelter in place and work remotely Monday, adding that citizens in many parts of Mexico should do the same.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said the cartel’s roadblocks have been cleared, with Mexican authorities arresting more than 70 people across seven states as part of a crackdown to restore order.
A soldier stands guard by a charred vehicle that was set on fire in Cointzio, Mexico, Sunday. AP“We are closely monitoring for any kind of reaction or restructuring within the cartel that could lead to violence,” Harfuch said.
“El Mencho” was notorious for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the US and a reward of up to $15 million was available for information leading to the drug lord’s arrest.
With Post wires
