Authorities in Mexico announced on Monday that 25 security personnel were killed in a wave of attacks that erupted following the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, during a military operation on Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said the violence that followed the operation included what he described as “cowardly” attacks targeting security forces, road blockades, vehicle burnings, and assaults on fuel stations in several parts of the country.
He confirmed that 27 attacks against security forces were recorded, six of them in the state of Jalisco, which accounted for most of the fatalities. The clashes also resulted in the deaths of 30 members of the criminal group, according to official figures.
Authorities said around 70 individuals linked to organized crime were arrested in connection with the violence and road closures. In total, 85 road blockades were reported across multiple states, including Michoacán, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Zacatecas.
Officials added that most major highways had been reopened and that the intensity of the violence declined by the end of Sunday, as security operations continued to restore order in affected regions.
