Mexico has deployed 10,000 troops to quell clashes sparked by the killing of the country’s most-wanted drug lord—with subsequent violence claiming dozens of lives—officials said on Monday, February 23rd.
Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was wounded on Sunday in a shootout with soldiers in the town of Tapalpa, and died while being flown to Mexico City.
News of his death triggered spasms of violence, with cartel members blocking roads in 20 states and torching vehicles and businesses. During the raid on Oseguera and subsequent clashes, at least 27 members of the security forces, 46 suspected criminals, and one civilian were killed, according to authorities.
A prison break in Jalisco state saw at least 23 people escape when their jail was attacked in a hail of gunfire by “criminal groups,” reported the state security secretary.
