Powerful Mexican drug cartel boss ‘El Mencho' killed by security forces
Leader of Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, was one of world’s most wanted drug traffickers
Mexican security forces have killed the cartel boss known as ‘El Mencho’, one of the most wanted drug traffickers in the world.
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The 59-year-old drug lord was killed in the western state of Jalisco during a military operation, according to local newspapers.
Mexico's defence ministry said that El Mencho died from injuries after the military operation during an air transfer.
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes was leader of Mexico's most powerful criminal organisation, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, (CJNG) known for its military-style arsenal, and displays of violence.
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CJNG has an almost nationwide presence in Mexico, spreading out from its original power base in Jalisco.
The US had offered a $15m (£11m) reward for the capture of the drug boss, who stood accused of smuggling cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine in huge quantities across its southern border.
Disorder was sparked in the region the gangsta ruled immediately after the killing.
On Sunday, “narco” roadblocks made from burning cars, buses and trucks across at least five Mexican states were seen.
In Jalisco’s capital, Guadalajara, armed men were seen torching vehicles in apparent reprisal attacks.
Following the killing, the US State Department has issued a shelter-in-place warning for US citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, and areas of Michoacan, Guerrero, and Nuevo Leon.