Mexico’s most wanted cartel leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” is dead, dozens were killed in the aftermath, and 23 inmates have escaped following a violent jailbreak. Authorities in the Pacific resort city of Puerto Vallarta are searching for prisoners who fled Sunday after armed men rammed the gate of a local jail in what officials say was a coordinated attack by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, according to the BBC. The prison break sparked a riot in which a guard was killed, reports the New York Post.
El Mencho, long considered a major fentanyl trafficker to the United States, was killed during a special forces operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco. Officials say more than 70 people—including 25 National Guard members—died in clashes that erupted during the operation, which used helicopters and drones to track him through one of his partners.
In Puerto Vallarta, cartel members set vehicles on fire and blocked roads, prompting authorities to order residents and tourists to stay indoors. Airlines temporarily paused flights, and cruise ships changed routes. By Monday, most blockades had been cleared, though attacks and arson continued in El Mencho’s home state of Michoacán. Authorities in Jalisco and neighboring states are working to recapture the escaped inmates, whose identities have not yet been released.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico lifted its shelter-in-place advisory for Americans in affected areas on Tuesday, USA Today reports, while reminding travelers to check flight schedules if they are leaving the country.