Mexican authorities revealed details of the military and police operation carried out on Sunday, in which Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias "El Mencho," leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was killed.
The Secretary of National Defense, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, explained this Monday that the intelligence process is very complex, requiring a great deal of time and the collection of extensive information from diverse national and international sources. "As the Armed Forces, we have greatly strengthened our relationship with the United States Northern Command, and this exchange of information is extremely important," he told the press.
He explained that last Friday they located a trusted associate of one of "El Mencho's" romantic partners in the town of Tatalpa, Jalisco. On Saturday, after meeting with him, the woman left, and Oseguera remained under guard with a security detail.
On that day, special forces organized the arrest operation together with members of the Army and the National Guard, and with the support of six helicopters and planes from the Mexican Air Force.
"Once 'El Mencho's' presence was confirmed, the ground force moved to the location where he was to carry out the arrest. A perimeter was going to be established," he said.
He added that once the operation was underway, Oseguera's guards, who had two arrest warrants for organized crime, began shooting. "It was a very violent attack carried out by organized crime personnel. The military personnel repelled the attack, and eight criminals died there," he noted.
The cartel leader and his inner circle fled to a wooded area and the military found them hidden in the undergrowth, armed with rocket launchers that could not fire at the troops, but did fire at a helicopter that made an emergency landing.
Trevilla Trejo explained that it was then that "El Mencho" and two of his bodyguards were seriously wounded; military medical personnel determined they needed to be evacuated and they were transported, along with a soldier, by helicopter to a hospital in Jalisco, but they died en route. Later, their bodies were taken by Air Force plane to Mexico City.
Meanwhile, military intelligence obtained information that Oseguera's logistics and financial operator and main confidant, José Luis Gutiérrez Ochoa, known as "El Tolín," was in Jalisco coordinating road blockades, vehicle fires, and attacks on facilities. A unit conducted an operation to arrest him, and he was killed during the pursuit.
The Secretary of National Defense gave recognition to the military personnel, "who carried out a successful operation; it can be seen from many perspectives, but it is definitive that they fulfilled their mission," and remembered the soldiers who died during the day.
Outcome of the operation
For his part, the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, specified that there were 85 road blockades and, for the moment, the result of the operation is 70 people detained, as well as 30 criminals, 25 National Guard agents, one guard, one prosecutor and one civilian dead.
When asked if Oseguera's body had been officially identified, he responded that "the Attorney General's Office has confirmed that they have identified and confirmed them" and added that "normally (the bodies) are claimed by the relatives and they are (given) handed over to them."
There is more peace and quiet in the country
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated the institutions that participated in the operation. "I want to give special recognition to the National Defense Ministry, the Mexican Army, the National Guard, and the Air Force. Mexico truly has extraordinary Armed Forces," she said.
Furthermore, he stressed that all operations are conducted by federal forces, emphasizing that "there is no participation of US forces in the operation. What there is is a great deal of information sharing, as we have stated here several times."
"The understanding with the United States is fundamentally based on the exchange of intelligence and information. In this case, the United States government provided information; they even issued a statement, but the entire operation, from its planning stage, is the responsibility of the federal forces, in this case, the Ministry of National Defense," he reiterated.
In his morning press conference, he emphasized that the most important thing is to guarantee peace for the population throughout the country and that "this is being done." He also assured that "today there is more tranquility. Peace, security, and normalcy are being safeguarded in the country."
He also stated that there are no road blockades in the country and that activity is being restored after the wave of violence that followed his death the cartel boss.
