Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said that troops guarded the funeral of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho" and longtime leader of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, to protect civilians.
Speaking during President Claudia Sheinbaum's daily press conference, Harfuch said the operation "was conducted precisely to protect civilians," considering there were "disturbances, blockades and even vehicles set on fire" after the operation that killed the drug lord.
The administration was criticized over the presence of law enforcement agents in the premises, with some claiming that they were guarding the body. "We didn't provide escort to anybody," Harfuch added, noting that "there were no problems and citizens were protected."
The burial took place in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara. A band played Mexican regional music and dozens of people joined the procession, which also featured large wreaths. El Mencho was buried in a golden casket.
Federal prosecutors gave El Mencho's body to his family last Saturday, six days after killing him in a raid. The LA Times noted that his detail was not on high alert the day he was captured because the drug lord had hosted a party the night before.
The outlet added that he wasn't able to be constantly on the move and avoid law enforcement because he had a late-stage kidney disease. This meant that he needed dialysis on a daily basis, preventing him from having the same kind of movement as other high-profile fugitives.
These factors, along with the recent arrest of a public official suspected of having ties with the Jalisco Cartel, helped shape the operation. The official provided leads that helped intelligence officials determine the drug lord's potential location.
General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo explained that Mexican forces effectively managed to locate El Mencho after tracking down a lover of his. He said that military intelligence managed to locate a man close to one of El Mencho's lovers, allowing them to determine his location. Once the person left the premise, officers confirmed that El Mencho stayed there. Forces then moved on to detain him, engaging in a shootout with cartel operatives there.
El Mencho tried to escape while leaving a group of operatives behind to slow down government forces. He made it to a nearby wood, but forces pinned him down and wounded him. El Mencho was taken to a helicopter that headed to Mexico City, but he died on the way there.
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