Mexico experiences a new wave of cartel violence following the killing of the nation's most-wanted drug lord, Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, known as 'El Mencho,' in a joint military operation with the US.
On 22 February, the Mexican security forces staged a large-scale operation in the western state of Jalisco, targeting El Mencho, the leader of the strong Jalisco New Generation Cartel Tapalpa (CJNG). The Defence Ministry assured that the 59-year-old died from injury while being flown to Mexico City to seek medical attention.
Considered as the most violent and heavily armed criminal group in Mexico, the CJNG had long been the leading target of both the Mexican and US governments based on its involvement in the drug trafficking of huge concentrations of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine into the United States.
Retaliation and Lawlessness on a National Scale
The news about the death of El Mencho was immediately accompanied by massive riots. Cartel supporters and armed cells went on a rampage in at least eight states within hours, setting vehicles ablaze, putting up makeshift roadblocks, and assaulting both urban and rural infrastructure.
In Guadalajara and other cities, the skies were filled with heavy smoke, and buses and cars were burned, and armed men staged violent demonstrations of force, with social media videos showing plumes of smoke above major transport routes and city streets.
There were interruptions to the transport services: dozens of flights to and from the resort and urban airports like Puerto Vallarta were cancelled by major airlines like Air Canada, United Airlines, and Aeromexico, and thousands of schools in some states, mainly on a precautionary basis.
Government Response and Security Alerts
President Claudia Sheinbaum admitted that the situation sparked unrest and urged people to calm down, emphasising coordinated federal and state efforts to respond to the issue at hand. In most of the national territory, things are occurring in complete regularity, she wrote on a social networking site.
International responses included security warnings from the US and Canada. Travel advisories advised travellers in affected zones to 'shelter in place' and not to move around unnecessarily as the violence ensued.
A Factional Fight and Power Vacuum Risk
Although the death of a cartel boss often marks a win for law enforcement, Mexico's history suggests that it might lead to additional instability as well. The bloody power wrangles that ensued as a result of the historic high-profile arrests in the Sinaloa cartel in the past are clear references reinforcing the need for caution when handling similar cases today.
For some analysts, the death of El Mencho might not diminish the power of the CJNG, but rather trigger internal rivalry and more violence in the group as the small groups within the cartel and other gang factions struggle for supremacy.
Legacy of Violence in the War on Cartels
The death of El Mencho represents one of the greatest hits on organised crime in Mexico in recent history. However, according to analysts, there are broader underlying challenges to resolve: the longstanding cartel infrastructure, the lucrative drug markets, and drug supply lines, extending to the US.
Owing to the recent melee, the government has gone ahead to deploy more troops, reinforced security measures, and pursued cartel group networks. But both locals and foreigners are girding themselves to endure possibly a long wave of instability within already traumatised communities because of decades of narco-violence.
The immediate future of the relations between Mexico and the rest of the Americas remains unknown, and as this turbulent new era begins, Mexico is in a tense and complicated situation, which presents wide-ranging consequences that are yet to be analysed.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
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