Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Mexican security forces have killed Nemesio El Mencho Oseguera Cervantes, one of the country’s most powerful drug kingpins, triggering violent reprisals across several states and prompting fresh advisories for US citizens. US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said he had been informed that Mexican forces had killed El Mencho, describing him as one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins.
“This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys,” Landau wrote on X.
In a separate post, Landau said he was watching “the scenes of violence from Mexico with great sadness and concern.” He added: “It’s not surprising that the bad guys are responding with terror. But we must never lose our nerve!” The US State Department also circulated emergency contact numbers for American citizens. It shared 1-888-407-4747 for callers from the US and Canada, and +1 202-501-4444 for those calling from overseas, including Mexico.
According to reporting in The Wall Street Journal, Mexico’s military killed Oseguera in an operation that marked one of the most significant blows yet to organised crime. The newspaper said the killing escalated the government’s war against cartels and sparked a violent gang response.
The Washington Post reported that the cartel leader’s death “set off a wave of violence in areas controlled by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel,” including burning cars and road blockages in Guadalajara and other cities. Fox News said Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” was killed in a military operation in Jalisco and that US authorities had provided complementary intelligence supporting the operation.
