Mexican security forces killed the country’s most-wanted cartel leader, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, in a high-stakes operation Sunday.
Oseguera was the leader and co-founder of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a criminal group that has rapidly expanded its influence in recent years, becoming one of the main traffickers of methamphetamine and fentanyl into the United States.
The news of Oseguera’s death plunged large swaths of Mexico into a state of chaos as cartel forces carried out a frenzy of retaliatory violence. Gangs set up fiery blockades on the streets and engaged in shootouts with the military. Airlines suspended their flights to the region, and the United States urged its nationals to shelter in place during the disorder. Amid the chaos, 25 members of the National Guard military police were killed.
President Claudia Sheinbaum made a plea for peace Monday and tried to reassure her people. “The most important thing right now is to guarantee peace and security for the entire population of all of Mexico. And that is what is being done,” she said. “People can be assured that peace, security, and normalcy are being maintained in the country.”
Here are some of the stories that made headlines over the past week, as well as some photos that caught our eye.
