Rocket launchers seized in raid that killed El Mencho spotlight CJNG firepower

Mexican authorities said they seized rocket launchers capable of shooting down aircraft during a Sunday operation that killed Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Ruben “Nemesio” Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.” Authorities said the find underscored how the cartel amassed military-style firepower.

Officials said security forces were attacked during the raid and returned fire, deploying aircraft and specialized units. Mexican Special Forces took part in the mission with assistance from the Air Force and National Guard rapid-reaction units, and troops seized armored vehicles and heavy weapons, officials said.

Authorities have previously linked the CJNG to a 2015 attack in Jalisco in which cartel gunmen used rocket-propelled grenades to bring down a Mexican military helicopter, one of the starkest examples of a cartel engaging federal forces with battlefield-grade weapons, according to prior reporting and officials.

The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert Sunday urging Americans in multiple Mexican states to shelter in place because of “ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity,” the department said. The Mexican government also warned of potential clashes and advised tourists in a seaside city to remain at their resorts, officials said.

Former U.S. officials have described the CJNG as operating more like a paramilitary organization than a traditional trafficking ring, using coordinated roadblocks, armed convoys and organized enforcement wings, according to prior reporting and former Drug Enforcement Administration officials. Authorities say the raid that killed “El Mencho” highlighted both the removal of a powerful cartel leader and the ability of heavily armed criminal groups to directly challenge state forces.

Source: Original Article