The U.S. embassy in Mexico issued an alert on Sunday for its citizens not to take to the streets in Jalisco (west), as well as in five other states in the country, due to the wave of violence unleashed by the death in a federal operation of the leader of the Jalisco Cartel – New Generation (CJNG), Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias El Mencho.
“Due to ongoing security operations in multiple states and related blockades and criminal activity, U.S. citizens should stay home in the above locations until further notice,” the U.S. Embassy said in a social media post.
Alert from the U.S. Embassy to its citizens in Mexico
The areas targeted are the states of Jalisco (including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala and Guadalajara), Tamaulipas (north), as well as areas of Michoacán (central), Guerrero (south) and Nuevo León (north).
El Mencho was killed during an operation with federal forces in Tapalpa, 130 kilometers south of Guadalajara, Jalisco’s capital, Mexican government sources confirmed to EFE.
Oseguera Cervantes, 56, was one of the most wanted criminals by Mexican and U.S. authorities, with a million-dollar reward for information leading to his capture.
Under his leadership, the CJNG consolidated itself as one of the most powerful and violent criminal organizations in the country.
The United States accused him of leading a “reign of terror” in Mexico and destroying “countless lives” by trafficking fentanyl, and offered up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
The CJNG is one of the Mexican cartels that Washington declared as terrorists since last year.
Following Sunday’s operation in which “El Mencho” was killed, in an apparent reaction by the criminal group, there were several blockades and the burning of vehicles and businesses in Jalisco and other states in the country.
Filed under: Alert US Embassy Mexico
With information from EFE
