Mexican States Cancel Classes As Violence Over Killing Of El Mencho Continues

Different states across Mexico cancelled classes on Monday as violence over the killing of Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," the leader of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, continues.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged for calm, with authorities saying on Sunday that they had cleared most of the 250 roadblocks staged across 20 states as a result of the operation.

Authorities in three states reported at least 14 people were killed on Sunday without taking into account those involved in the operation.

Moreover, The Associated Press noted that, however the capital of Jalisco, was completely shut down on Sunday. The State Department urged U.S. citizens in several states to shelter in place until further notice over the fallout of the killing.

The U.S. Embassy in the country advised people there to avoid areas around law enforcement activity and minimize unnecessary movements, among others.

The killing of El Mencho is one of the most consequential blows to a major Mexican criminal organization in years, both because the CJNG has been widely described as among the country's most powerful and violent groups, and because Oseguera Cervantes had remained a fugitive despite a years-long, binational manhunt that included a U.S. State Department reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

The strike was part of an operation in the mountains of Jalisco and was framed as a major security success for the Sheinbaum administration.

Mexico's Secretariat of Defense confirmed that "El Mencho" died during a clash between members of the military and cartel operatives. It noted that four cartel operatives were killed in the clash, while three others were seriously injured. One of them was Oseguera Cervantes, who died while being taken to Mexico City. No military members died during the operation, authorities added.

Oseguera Cervantes rose from local criminal networks into the top tier of Mexico's underworld, becoming the face of CJNG's rapid expansion. The cartel emerged after fractures in earlier organizations, and over time built a reputation for combining sophisticated trafficking with aggressive territorial violence, as well as diversification into other illicit businesses.

According to In Sight Crime, CJNG is not just a cartel. It has been described by U.S. officials and researchers as a network that grew by absorbing or partnering with existing criminal cells in multiple regions, which is one reason "decapitation" events can trigger unpredictable splintering.