25 National Guards, 33 others dead in Mexico over killing of drug lord El Mencho

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

A wave of brutal, coordinated violence swept through Jalisco state on Sunday, leaving dozens dead, including 25 members of Mexico’s National Guard.

Authorities described the attack and killings as “cowardly attacks” by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in retaliation for the killing of its notorious leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.”

Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, detailed the carnage during a Monday press briefing, confirming six separate assaults on security forces across the state.

The attacks claimed the lives of 25 National Guard personnel, one prison guard, and one official from the Jalisco State Attorney General’s Office. A civilian woman was also killed in the crossfire.

“These were cowardly attacks against authorities,” García Harfuch stated, emphasising the premeditated nature of the strikes.

Authorities reported that 30 suspected cartel members were killed during the confrontations, bringing the total death toll from the clashes in Jalisco to 58 when including security forces, the civilian victim, and the deceased gunmen.

The violence erupted hours after a Mexican military operation, supported by U.S. intelligence, targeted Oseguera in Tapalpa, Jalisco.

The 59-year-old cartel boss, long one of the world’s most-wanted fugitives with a $15 million U.S. reward on his head, was fatally wounded in a shootout alongside several associates. He succumbed to his injuries during an air transfer to Mexico City.

The CJNG, infamous for its extreme violence, including downing a military helicopter in 2015 and a near-fatal 2020 assassination attempt on Harfuch himself when he was Mexico City police chief, responded with widespread chaos.

Cartel gunmen set vehicles ablaze, erected roadblocks on highways, and clashed directly with security forces in multiple locations.

Similar disturbances spread to neighbouring states like Michoacán and beyond, prompting school closures, flight cancellations, and shelter-in-place advisories for U.S. citizens and locals in affected areas.

Harfuch reported a total of 27 aggressions nationwide linked to the retaliation, with around 70 suspected cartel members detained across seven states.

The Mexican government has placed security forces on high alert, vowing that such acts “will not go unpunished.”

The killing of “El Mencho” marks one of the most significant blows against Mexican organized crime in recent years, rivaling the recapture of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán a decade ago.