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Cartel violence triggered by the killing of Mexico’s most powerful drug lord has raised fresh security concerns just months before the country co-hosts the World Cup.
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed on Sunday following a Mexican military operation to capture him.
Known as “El Mencho”, Oseguera Cervantes was wounded in Tapalpa in Jalisco state, about a two-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara, and he died while being flown to Mexico City.
More than 70 people died in the attempt to capture the drug lord and the aftermath, including security forces, cartel members and others, according to authorities.
Violence has since raged on in Jalisco and several other states across Mexico, with reports of cartel members blocking highways with burning cars and torching businesses.
In the town of Tapalpa, tucked away in the mountains of Jalisco, shop owner Maria Dolores Aguirre fears that the unrest will deal a blow to her livelihood and affect tourism.
“It’s going to affect us. It’s collateral damage,” the 50-year-old said.
“The government is going to have to have a lot of security. The entire world just saw what happened and, of course, people are going to think twice about coming.”
Jalisco’s capital, Guadalajara, will host four matches at this summer’s tournament.
Another five games will take place in Mexico City — including the opener between Mexico and South Africa on 11 June — and four in Monterrey.
In domestic football, four matches — two in the top flight and two in the second division — were postponed on Sunday because of the violence.
Fears of further bloodshed
Some security analysts have warned that the killing of Oseguera Cervantes could lead to a prolonged period of instability and bloodshed as contenders seek to replace him.
Yet Javier Eskauriatza, assistant professor of criminal law at the University of Nottingham in England, told the BBC that the cartels have an economic interest in ensuring that the World Cup is peaceful.
“Yes they pay off politicians and local police forces, but they also buy restaurants and own hotels,” he said. “They are part of the economic system.”
“It is useful for them if Brits, Americans, and others go to Mexico, spend their money and have a good time.”
Following the killing of Oseguera Cervantes, airlines including Air Canada, United Airlines, Aeromexico and American Airlines temporarily suspended flights to Puerto Vallarta, a resort town in Jalisco that has been hit hard by cartel reprisals.
The drug lord’s death came as Mexico has stepped up its offensive against cartels in an effort to meet demands by US President Donald Trump to crack down on criminal groups, threatening to otherwise impose more tariffs or take unilateral military action.
The White House confirmed that the US provided intelligence support to the operation to capture the cartel leader and applauded Mexico’s army for taking down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries.
CJNG — one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico — is known for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the United States, as well as staging brazen attacks against Mexican government officials.
Additional sources • AP