Surveillance of a romantic associate helped put the Mexican armed forces on the path of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the infamous chief of the Jalisco New Era Cartel often known as “El Mencho,” who was captured and killed Sunday, Mexican authorities mentioned Monday.
Mexican Protection Secretary Gen. Ricardo Trevilla mentioned that Sunday’s Mexican particular forces operation, which included U.S. intelligence data, ended when particular forces discovered Oseguera Cervantes “hidden in the undergrowth” in his residence state of Jalisco. After a number of shootouts, eight gunmen had been killed and the drug lord and two of his bodyguards had been wounded. They had been taken into custody and died on the best way to Mexico Metropolis, Trevilla mentioned.
In all, greater than 70 folks had been killed within the operation and the following violence, together with safety forces, suspected cartel members and others.
Right here’s how the seize of the nation’s strongest cartel chief and one of many United States’ most wished fugitives unfolded, in response to Mexican authorities:
Following a romantic associate
Each Mexico and the US had spent years monitoring “El Mencho,” who confronted quite a few excellent arrest warrants for organized crime and drug trafficking in each nations.
This time, nevertheless, the intelligence efforts proved profitable. Trevilla famous that army investigators recognized and commenced following a trusted affiliate of one in all Oseguera Cervantes’ romantic companions. This particular person escorted the girl to Tapalpa, Jalisco, on Friday for a gathering with the drug lord. The army official defined that the precise location was confirmed by “very important additional information” offered by U.S. intelligence.
A land and air blockade
As soon as the girl left after spending the evening with “El Mencho,” particular forces finalized their plans, having confirmed he was staying within the space with a safety element.
Items from the Mexican military and the Nationwide Guard established a floor cordon, whereas six helicopters and extra particular forces stood by in states bordering Jalisco.
The Mexican Air Power offered additional help with reconnaissance and plane, Trevilla mentioned. Within the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, after his presence was confirmed, the operation started. All through the mission, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was stored knowledgeable of each improvement whereas on a tour in northern Mexico.
A violent response
Gen. Trevilla described the criminals’ response as extraordinarily violent.
Throughout the confrontation, he mentioned “El Mencho” tried to flee with two bodyguards whereas a closely armed group remained behind to stall the army advance. The loss of life toll on the scene reached eight, which Trevilla famous was 4 greater than initially reported on Sunday.
Among the many seized weaponry had been two rocket launchers, together with one similar to the mannequin utilized by the CJNG in 2015 to down a army helicopter. That 2015 assault served as a grim milestone, proving the cartel was ready to satisfy the Mexican authorities with deadly, full-scale pressure.
‘Hiding in the undergrowth’
Oseguera Cervantes tried to take cowl in a wooded space dotted with cabins on the outskirts of Tapalpa. Though the criminals had been closely armed with rocket launchers, Trevilla famous that they didn’t handle to deploy them. Particular forces ultimately “located him hiding in the undergrowth,” triggering one other intense confrontation that left “El Mencho” and two of his bodyguards wounded.
Throughout the chaos, a army helicopter was compelled into an emergency touchdown after being struck by gunfire, and two people had been apprehended on the scene. Three troopers had been injured within the engagement.
Lifeless en route
As soon as the scene was secured, the cartel chief and his bodyguards had been loaded onto a helicopter for emergency transport to a close-by hospital. Nonetheless, Trevilla confirmed they died en route, noting they had been already in “critical condition.”
$1,000 for each soldier killed
About 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Tapalpa, a logistics and monetary operator recognized solely as “El Tuli” reportedly supplied gunmen a bounty of 20,000 pesos — over $1,000 — for each soldier killed, mentioned Trevilla.
The protection minister additionally mentioned “El Tuli” — allegedly Oseguera’s right-hand man — was the mastermind of a sequence of roadblocks, arson assaults and hits on authorities installations throughout Jalisco state.
Safety Secretary Omar García Harfuch mentioned that probably the most extreme violence occurred in Jalisco, the place 25 Nationwide Guard members, a jail official, a prosecutor’s workplace worker and a presumed civilian girl had been killed, together with 30 suspected criminals.
In neighboring Michoacán, 4 extra gunmen died whereas 15 safety personnel had been wounded.
A paratrooper rifle brigade tracked down “El Tuli” and killed him in a shootout, seizing lengthy and quick firearms alongside almost $1.4 million in combined U.S. and Mexican forex. Nonetheless, retaliation from the cartel continued in a number of Mexican states.
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