Un Puerto in the Storm
Regardless of the way it sounds, the name El Mencho most definitely does not translate into The Mensch. Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes’s nickname apparently derives from Nemesio. But El Mencho was a man with many aliases and many nicknames, including the Lord of the Roosters. He was also a man who rose from small-time crimes in California to lead the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in drug trafficking and extreme acts of sensationalist violence, as he grew into his role as drug lord and, eventually, one of the most wanted men in Mexico. Well, the chickens have come home to Rooster. With intelligence assistance from the US, Mexican troops killed El Mencho over the weekend. The operation was met with a series of retaliatory acts, including multiple fires and the killing of at least 25 members of the Mexican National Guard, that essentially shut down Puerto Vallarta, forcing tourists to shelter in place and airplanes and cruise ships to change course mid-journey. History shows that arrests and killings of top cartel bosses do little to slow the flow of drugs. But the decision to target El Mencho now was about more than just that. NYT (Gift Article): Mayhem Rocks Mexico After Most-Wanted Cartel Boss Is Killed. “Mr. Oseguera’s killing is a major victory in Mexico’s new offensive against drug cartels and it could help reduce pressure from President Trump, who has been threatening strikes in Mexico. The Mexican government said the United States had contributed intelligence that aided the operation against Mr. Oseguera. U.S. officials said that it was a Mexican operation and that no American troops were involved in the operation. That was only the start for Mexican security forces on Sunday. They were deployed across the country to confront the backlash over Mr. Oseguera’s killing.”
+ Mexican drug cartel boss ‘El Mencho’ tracked through romantic partner. “The operation immediately set off a wave of violence across Mexico, with cartel gunmen blocking almost 100 major roads, torching vehicles and lashing out at security forces, especially in the states of Jalisco and Michoacán.”
+ The latest from CNN.
