Mexican army kills leader of Jalisco New Generation Cartel, official says

The Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho”, in an operation on Sunday, a federal official said.

The official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly, said it happened during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.

It followed several hours of roadblocks with burning vehicles in Jalisco and other states. Such tactics are commonly used by the cartels to block military operations.

Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing over the city of Puerto Vallarta, a major city in Jalisco, and people sprinting through the airport of the state’s capital in panic.

The US State Department had offered a reward of up to US$15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. The former police officer had led the cartel, which he founded, since 2011.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is one of the most powerful and fastest-growing criminal organisations in Mexico.

In February, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organisation.