Federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch reported Monday that 25 National Guard officers, a state police officer, a security guard and a woman — reportedly pregnant — were killed in attacks in Jalisco following a federal operation in which Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes was shot, detained and later died.
He also said that 34 criminals were killed in incidents following the Sunday morning military operation targeting Oseguera in Tapalpa, a municipality in Jalisco located around 130 kilometers southwest of the state capital of Guadalajara.
The operation triggered a violent response from CJNG members, who set up more than 250 narco-blockades across 20 Mexican states and carried out arson attacks on a large number of businesses.
Speaking at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference, García Harfuch said that 27 “cowardly attacks against authorities” were carried out after the operation to detain “El Mencho.”
In six of those attacks in Jalisco, 25 National Guard personnel, a guard and a state police officer “unfortunately” lost their lives, he said.
“… At the hands of these cowardly criminals, a woman [also] lost her life,” García Harfuch said.
That woman was reportedly three months pregnant. She was killed in the crossfire of a clash between the National Guard and CJNG members in Zapopan, located in the Guadalajara metropolitan area.
García Harfuch said that 30 “organized crime people” were killed in clashes with authorities in Jalisco. He also said that four criminals were killed in confrontations with authorities in Michoacán, which borders Jalisco to the south. The security minister said that 15 security force members were wounded in those clashes.
“We make a respectful call to the population to remain calm, to trust your institutions and to rest assured that the government of Mexico is working to its full capacity to restore peace and protect people,” García Harfuch said.
“We recognize the bravery of the personnel of the Mexican Army, the National Guard and the Air Force, and of course we recognize the general and Minister Ricardo Trevilla for his leadership at the Ministry of National Defense,” he said.
García Harfuch: No narco-blockades as of Monday morning
García Harfuch acknowledged that the CJNG reacted violently to the arrest and subsequent death of Oseguera, who was Mexico’s most wanted drug lord.
He noted that in states across the country, highways were blocked, vehicles were set on fire and gas stations, banks and other businesses were targeted in arson attacks.
The federal government’s security cabinet reported on Sunday that around 20 branches of the state-owned Banco del Bienestar (Bank of Well-Being) in Jalisco were damaged.
García Harfuch said that “the majority” of the blockades set up by the CJNG were removed on Sunday, while the remainder were cleared early Monday.
Mexico is currently “without blockades,” the security minister said.
He said that a total of 85 narco-blockades were set up on federal highways in 11 states: Baja California, México state, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Jalisco, Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Zacatecas.
He said that Jalisco saw the highest number of federal highway blockades with 18.
“In other entities, isolated events [of violence] and blockades occurred,” García Harfuch said, adding that authorities responded “immediately.”
There were major disruptions to bus travel in Mexico on Sunday, while a significant number of flights to and from the airports in Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and Tepic were canceled.
70 arrests across 7 states
García Harfuch said that authorities arrested 70 people across seven states for allegedly committing crimes motivated by the operation against Oseguera.
The news outlet Infobae reported that more than 50 people were arrested in Jalisco, Baja California and Guanajuato.
During the operation in Tapalpa, military personnel came under attack, the Defense Ministry said Sunday.
It said that the military personnel returned fire and four CJNG members were killed at the scene and three others, including Oseguera, were seriously wounded and died while being transferred by air to Mexico City. Defense Minister Trevilla said Monday that the number of “criminals” killed at the scene was in fact eight.
The Defense Ministry said that three military personnel were wounded, all of whom were transferred to Mexico City for medical treatment.
It also said that United States authorities contributed information used to carry out the operation in Jalisco.
CJNG weakened by operation against ‘El Mencho,’ says García Harfuch
García Harfuch said that the operation in Tapalpa on Sunday “made it possible to weaken a criminal organization of international reach.”
He described the CJNG as the “main” generator of violence in Mexico, noting that its members commit crimes such as homicide, people trafficking, extortion, kidnapping and “armed attacks against authorities.”
In a social media post on Monday morning, the federal security cabinet wrote that “the strength of a criminal group will never be above the strength of the Mexican state.”
“We make a respectful call to remain calm and trust your institutions,” it added.
Mexico News Daily
