Violence erupts in Mexico after killing of drug cartel kingpin El Mencho'

"Mexican security forces have killed a drug lord who led one of the most powerful criminal organisations in the country, triggering a wave of violence in several areas, including the western state of Jalisco. The Mexican Secretariat of National Defence said Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho, was wounded in a clash with soldiers in the town of Tapalpa, in Jalisco state, on Sunday and died while being flown to Mexico City."

"He had a $15m bounty on his head from the United States. The Mexican operation set off a wave of violence, with gunmen torching cars and blocking highways in more than half a dozen states, including Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan, Nayarit, Guanajuato, and Tamaulipas. Jalisco's capital, Guadalajara, which will host several matches in the upcoming FIFA World Cup, was turned into a ghost town on Sunday night as civilians hunkered down."

"Videos circulating on social media showed people sprinting through the Guadalajara airport in panic and smoke billowing over the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta. Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus told residents to stay home and suspended public transportation. School was cancelled on Monday in several states. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the country's security forces in a post on X and called for calm. There is absolute coordination with the governments of all states, she wrote."

Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, was wounded in a clash with soldiers in Tapalpa, Jalisco, and died while being flown to Mexico City. The raid was carried out with complementary information from US authorities and targeted a major drug leader who had a $15m US bounty. The operation provoked coordinated violence across more than half a dozen states, with gunmen torching cars and blocking highways. Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta experienced panic and disruption, authorities suspended public transport and canceled some schools, and the president praised security forces while calling for calm and coordination.

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