Cartel henchmen and other criminals are using the death of a cartel kingpin to create chaos around the country.
Violence has been breaking out in various pockets throughout Mexico, including a daring prison escape in Puerto Vallarta.
The underlying narrative is that all this is taking place because of a massive misstep by Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho.”
Authorities have the girlfriend of El Mencho to thank for his demise, as she was tracked to his home after a tip from an associate of the kingpin’s lover.
After tracking the woman to El Mencho’s mountain-top residence, they waited for the woman to leave before launching the operation.
As authorities approached, cartel gunmen opened fire, and El Mencho fled. He was eventually found with members of his inner circle hiding in a wooded area near the home.
Another exchange took place, with El Mencho and two others wounded, all being evacuated from the area, but later pronounced dead from wounds during the firefight.
El Mencho was the leader of one of the most feared cartels in Mexico, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
A daring operation was carried out by the Mexican government in conjunction with an intelligence-sharing operation with the United States.
After his death, the streets of Mexico were literally on fire, as the cartel proved to be too much for local police, outgunning them significantly.
More than two dozen Mexican National Guardsmen were killed, with special forces operators and the country’s Air Force being called to help quell the violence.
With all the mayhem in the streets, a group of armed men stormed a prison in Puerto Vallarta, freeing 23 men.
The men rammed a vehicle through the gate of the Centro Integral de Justicia Regional, which in turn sparked a riot inside the prison, with the ensuing violence resulting in the death of one of the prisoner guards.
Prison officials called for help, but road conditions prevented other authorities from responding in a timely manner.
So far, outlets have reported that at least 73 people have died in the violence over the death of El Mencho.
