Mexico is currently experiencing one of its most violent periods ever. Armed drug traffickers across the country are attacking, murdering and kidnapping people in retribution for the assassination of infamous drug lord El Mencho from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Earlier this week, national police arrested El Mencho, who was wanted for a long time. During the capture, he received multiple gunshot wounds while being taken into custody by law enforcement before succumbing later that afternoon at a Mexico City hospital. Since his death, CJNG has engaged in multiple coordinated attacks against law enforcement across 20 Mexican states and continues to spill into several other countries including those bordering the US.
According to Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Protection Omar García Harfuch, as of right now, at least 25 officers from the National Guard have been killed from these shootings by CJNG, along with one other prison guard and one investigator from the state attorney’s office. According to law enforcement sources, CJNG has lost hundreds of additional members’ lives during various firefights; however, there is no current indication that the violence will be controlled or cease, and many further attacks by CJNG members can be expected as they attempt to avenge their fallen leader.
Responses from cartel members included roadblocks to prevent entry of police and military personnel, highway closures, destruction of private property, vehicles, busses, and businesses and laying out spikes on major highways. Pictures taken in the state of Jalisco, Mexico indicated that many of the major highways were closed or had been destroyed by burned out vehicles; stores, banks, and other forms of private property had been looted or destroyed; and most of the major cities in the region were empty.
Cartel retaliation spreads across 20 states
To counter these actions, the Minister of Defence of Mexico Ricardo Trevilla announced that 2500 additional troops had been deployed to restore law and order in the CJNG territory in western Mexico.
The President of Mexico (Claudia Sheinbaum) stated that the deployment of military troops was a critical component of restoring order in Mexico and restoring order to Mexico is her government’s number one priority.
Who was “El Mencho”?
El Mencho (59) was one of the most wanted criminals in Mexico. He was a former police officer who had worked his way up through the levels of organized crime for 30 years. Shortly after leaving the Sinaloa Cartel, which was one of the largest drug trafficking organizations in the world, El Mencho formed his own gang named CJNG ,Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación.
Soon after he became the leader of the CJNG/Cartel, this organisation grew immensely and distributed cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and more illegal drugs to the USA and the rest of the world through their drug trafficking networks. While also making money through ranking for extortion, kidnapping, stealing fuel, and smuggling undocumented immigrants.
A $15 million bounty for information on the capture of El Mencho shows the extent of his criminal enterprise on a global scale.
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What will happen with CJNG and Mexico now?
Security analysts suggest that El Mencho’s death could create more instability. With no solid successor to lead the cartel, there is a chance of fragmentation into different factions, which would produce violence between those factions. On the other hand, a new leader could step in and continue his predecessor’s manner of doing business.
The government of Mexico is quickly trying to avoid a protracted conflict. There have been numerous obstructions to law enforcement clearing the road, however, the atmosphere still remains tense and there is a possibility of retaliation continuing.
The death of El Mencho is a huge accomplishment for Mexican authorities, but it reminds everyone that drug cartels still have a lot of power, and the road to a steady state of peace is very long.
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