MEXICO CITY — The U.S. Department of State is urging Americans in parts of Mexico to “seek shelter and remain in residences or hotels” after a wave of violence erupted following the reported killing of a major cartel leader.
Several U.S. airlines have suspended flights to the resort city of Puerto Vallarta, leaving tourists scrambling to find ways home.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said “El Mencho,” a top target of both the Mexican and U.S. governments for fentanyl trafficking, was killed during an operation in Talpa de Allende, Jalisco. She said the United States provided intelligence support to Mexican authorities.
In addition to “El Mencho,” Leavitt said three other cartel members were killed, three were wounded and two were arrested during the operation.
“El Mencho,” whose real name was Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, had been one of the most wanted fugitives in Mexico. The U.S. government had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest.
Oseguera Cervantes is accused of founding and leading the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, also known as CJNG. Formed in 2009, the cartel grew into one of the most powerful and violent criminal organizations in Mexico. U.S. officials have said CJNG has significant trafficking capacity for cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, and in recent years has played a major role in the trafficking of fentanyl into the United States.
Under Oseguera Cervantes’ leadership, CJNG was linked to numerous killings involving rival groups and Mexican law enforcement. Authorities have also accused the cartel of orchestrating assassination attempts against Mexican government officials.
Since 2017, Oseguera Cervantes had been indicted multiple times in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. A superseding indictment filed in April 2022 charged him with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl for importation into the United States, as well as firearms offenses and operating a continuing criminal enterprise under the federal Drug Kingpin Statute.
Following reports of his death, violence flared across parts of Jalisco and neighboring states. Schools were canceled Monday in several areas, and both Mexican and foreign officials warned residents to stay indoors.
Mexico’s security secretary, Omar García Harfuch, said 25 members of the National Guard were killed in six separate attacks in Jalisco after the cartel leader’s death, according to multiple news sources.
