Mexican President Says County Is 'at Peace' After Cartel Boss Killing Spurs Violence

MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sought to quell fears Monday aft unit erupted successful 20 Mexican states complete nan sidesplitting of nan world’s astir wanted cartel kingpin: Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known arsenic “El Mencho.”

“The state is astatine peace,” Sheinbaum told reporters astatine her regular news convention successful Mexico City. “It’s calm.”

Schools were closed Monday successful immoderate states and immoderate flights remained suspended astatine nan celebrated tourer destination of Puerto Vallarta successful nan authorities of Jalisco, wherever Oseguera lived and was killed astatine his upland hideout.

Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s apical information official, said 25 members of nan National Guard were killed Sunday successful attacks by organized crime successful Jalisco state. It was not instantly clear really nan soldiers were killed.

Mexican Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo revealed caller specifications of nan typical forces cognition targeting Oseguera, nan laminitis and leader of nan notorious Jalisco New Generation cartel.

Trevilla said that successful caller days, Mexican intelligence officers identified wherever Oseguera lived by search nan movements of his girlfriend.

As troops approached Oseguera’s compound adjacent nan municipality of Tapalpa connected Sunday, Oseguera’s guards opened occurrence successful what Trevilla described arsenic “a very convulsive attack.”

As a weapon conflict collapsed retired betwixt soldiers and cartel henchmen, Oseguera escaped. Troops established a perimeter astir nan compound, and later recovered nan supplier lord hiding successful immoderate adjacent woods, wounded.

He and 2 of his bodyguards were earnestly injured. The 3 were transported by chopper to nan adjacent metropolis of Morelia, but died en route, Trevilla said.

He said an arsenal of guns, rocket launchers and grenades was recovered astatine Oseguera’s compound.

The cognition against Oseguera triggered retaliatory attacks done Jalisco and successful different states wherever nan cartel has a presence, pinch gangsters blocking roads pinch burning cars, torching immoderate state stations and storefronts, and opening occurrence connected information personnel. It is by now a communal method for cartels to effort to sow chaos successful an effort to disrupt subject actions.

Officials said nan unit has eased for now, and Sheinbaum said she expects schools and flights to resume by Tuesday.

“We awoke coming pinch nary blockades,” Sheinbaum said. “All activity has practically been reestablished.”

The authorities has sent thousands of soldiers to Jalisco to reenforce information there, and is ready, officials say, to combat further unit arsenic nan apical remaining leaders of nan cartel jockey for power.

“We’re prepared for this,” Harfuch said.

Trevilla said that U.S. intelligence played a domiciled successful nan operation, but that nan recognition of Oseguera’s hideout and nan readying and execution of nan onslaught were nan activity of nan Mexican equipped forces.

“In this lawsuit location was accusation provided by nan United States,” Sheinbauam said. “But nan full cognition from its readying [stage] was nan work of national forces. “

Said Trevilla: “Mexico has coagulated institutions ... Trust successful your government.”

Linthicum reported from New York and McDonnell from Mexico City.