MEXICO CITY (CN) - A sense of uncertain calm has been restored to Guadalajara, Jalisco, following the death on Sunday of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho, after a Mexican Army operation.
"I've seen reports that things are gradually reopening. So, yeah, at the moment, that is positive, but there is still this kind of lingering sense that there could be a bit of a delayed response and there could be something that comes further down the line," said Stephen Woodman, a freelance journalist and security researcher in Guadalajara. "Because in Sinaloa, for example, before the outbreak, the Zambada faction basically spent about three weeks planning in order to marshal resources."
Woodman is referring to the violent and continuing aftermath following the arrest of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada in July 2024. By September of the same year, the Los Mayos and Los Chapitos factions of the Sinaloa cartel were engaged in an all-out war, resulting in thousands dead and displaced in the state.
Woodman fears the killing of El Mencho could lead to another Sinaloa situation that followed after Zambada's arrest.
"It does leave a question mark over a lot of things. There's a doubt for residents here about what the future holds, who will take over this group. It's not going to disappear from one day to the next or be completely dismantled from one day to the next, and that's a big concern for families and people here," said Woodman. "There's the concern here that there will be fragmentation and that there will be a splintering and that that will lead to prolonged violence. And I believe that's a very realistic possibility."
Woodman feels the operation itself wasn't a surprise, given the U.S. government's recent pressure on Mexican cartels.
The Mexican government revealed Sunday, in its first official statement on the killing, that the U.S. cooperated and gave intelligence to the Mexican government for the operation.
Woodman said the timing of the operation is odd.
"One of the main reasons why it's a surprise, actually, is because of the World Cup. I would've expected them to have waited for this. It really does leave a lot of questions open about the security ahead of the event," he said. Mexico is co-hosting the FIFA World Cup this summer.
Woodman also said the operation didn't seem that well coordinated with the media.
"They left it open for a while if El Mencho was dead. For several hours, there was a lot of doubt. That seemed not very well handled, but I've seen things mishandled with other blockades, so it's not that much of a surprise," said Woodman.
On Sunday, some citizens of Jalisco woke up to the sound of gunfire, and others saw smoke plumes caused by burning vehicles in their cities' streets.
Not until later in the afternoon, after unconfirmed media reports and an unspecified Code Red alert issued by Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro stoked rumors on social media, was the reason officially revealed by the Mexican government: The most sought-after criminal in the Americas was dead.
Even Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum seemed taken aback during a trip in the Mexican state of Coahuila when asked about the killing in a video recorded and disseminated by Mexican news outlet Milenio - the same news outlet that first broke the news about El Mencho hours before an official government statement was made.
"The cabinet will soon inform the public," Sheinbaum said from a car being swarmed in the video.
In her morning press conference Monday, the tone shifted as General Trevilla Trejo became emotional while describing the military's operation and its aftermath that left 73 people dead, including 25 National Guard troops and 30 suspected criminals.
"They accomplished their mission. What did we show? The strength of the Mexican state," he said Monday.
Sheinbaum echoed this sentiment and stated that the operation was within the framework of the constitution.
"Yesterday showed very important preparation by our armed forces," she said.
Classes and large events in Jalisco have been put on hold until further notice, and as of Monday afternoon, reports of dozens of blockades on federal highways in Jalisco continue.
Source: Courthouse News Service
